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Updated: Sep 30, 2026

Analysis of Cerebral Vasospasm in a Murine Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage with High Frequency Transcranial Duplex Ultrasound
10:41

Analysis of Cerebral Vasospasm in a Murine Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage with High Frequency Transcranial Duplex Ultrasound

Published on: June 3, 2021

Symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid haemorrhage: assessment of brain damage by diffusion and perfusion-weighted

X Leclerc1, A Fichten, J Y Gauvrit

  • 1Neurosurgical Intensive Care, Hôpital Roger Salengro, Boulevard du Professeur Leclercq, 59037 Lille Cedex, France. xleclerc@chru-lille.fr

Neuroradiology
|July 24, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MRI (DWI, PWI) show promise in detecting ischemic brain damage after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). DWI identified permanent neurological deficits in two patients, highlighting its clinical utility.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Radiology
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can lead to delayed cerebral ischemia due to vasospasm.
  • Early detection of ischemic brain damage is crucial for patient outcomes.
  • Conventional imaging methods may have limitations in identifying subtle ischemic changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) in detecting ischemic brain damage.
  • To assess the utility of DWI and PWI in patients with suspected vasospasm following SAH.
  • To compare DWI and PWI findings with technetium-hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (Tc-HMPAO) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Eleven patients with suspected intracranial vasospasm after anterior circulation SAH were studied.
  • Patients underwent Tc-HMPAO SPECT, DWI, and PWI within two weeks of SAH.
  • Imaging results were interpreted by two examiners and correlated with clinical and follow-up data.

Main Results:

  • Perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) detected slowed cerebral blood flow in seven patients, correlating with SPECT findings.
  • In two cases, PWI showed no abnormalities, yet SPECT indicated hypoperfusion.
  • Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed high signals in two patients, both of whom experienced permanent neurological deficits.

Conclusions:

  • DWI and PWI are valuable tools for detecting ischemic brain damage in SAH patients with suspected vasospasm.
  • DWI may be particularly useful in identifying patients at risk of permanent neurological deficits.
  • These advanced MRI techniques offer complementary information to SPECT in assessing cerebral ischemia post-SAH.

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