[Clinical course in poor grade patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms and extensive subarachnoidal clot]

Three hundred and eight cases with ruptured intracranial aneurysms and variable amounts of subarachnoidal clot were evaluated clinically with special emphasis on the natural course of poor grade patients. Clinical severity was classified according to the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS); severe cases (score 3-8) and mild cases (score 9-15). Patients were further divided into four groups based on the preoperative clinical course, and on whether radical surgery was performed or not. Group A, severe cases without radical surgery (17 patients, mean GCS score 4.2); group B, severe cases (which had undergone) radical surgery (24 cases, mean GCS score 5.5); group C, patients considered as severe cases on admission that had improved to mild cases before radical surgery (3 patients, mean GCS score 11.7); group D, mild cases which had undergone radical surgery (254 cases, mean GCS score 14.3). CT findings after their last bleeding episode were evaluated in each group using subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) score from "0"-"3" according to the severity of SAH. In addition, the SAH-B (brainstem) score ("0"-"9") was also evaluated. In this score, the amount of SAH in each perimesencephalic cistern (a. prepontine or interpeduncular cistern, b. ambient cistern, c. quadrigeminal cistern) was considered with a possible score of "0"-"3" for each cistern. (No patient had a concurrent intracerebral or intraventricular hematoma causing a mass effect on CT scan). All cases in group A died except one patient that remained in a vegetative state. All of them had severe subarachnoidal clot (mean SAH score 2.9, SAH-B score 8.2). In group B, in patients with same scores (mean SAH score 2.8, mean SAH-B score 7.3), the outcome was as follows: 6 patients (33.3%) had full recovery or were capable of self-management, 6 patients (33.3%) were partially or fully dependent, and 12 patients (50%) were either in vegetative state or died. Patients in groups C and D with good outcome had significantly less amount of SAH, especially in the perimesencephalic cistern (group C--mean SAH score 2.3, mean SAH-B score 3.7, group D--mean SAH score 1.9, mean SAH-B score 3.3). It is concluded that duration and level of unconsciousness in the cases of SAH without concurrent hematoma causing mass effect, has a good correlation with the severity of SAH in the perimesencephalic cisterns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)