Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
Imaging Vital and Non-vital Brain Pericytes in Brain Slices following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Published on: August 18, 2023
Cerebral CT perfusion in patients with perimesencephalic and those with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Charlotte H P Cremers1, Irene C van der Schaaf, Jan Willem Dankbaar
1Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Background:
The cause of perimesencephalic hemorrhage is unknown, but a venous source is suggested. If perimesencephalic hemorrhage is of venous origin, less elevation of the intracranial pressure and less perfusion deficits are expected than after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Aims:
We compared perfusion in the acute stage after perimesencephalic hemorrhage and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Methods:
We included 45 perimesencephalic hemorrhage patients and 45 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients, who were matched on clinical condition at admission and underwent computerized tomographic scanning <72 h after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral blood flow was assessed in 12 predefined regions of interest. Differences in cerebral blood flow values with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Sub-group analyses were performed stratified on comparable amounts of blood and location of blood (posterior circulation aneurysms and additionally in infratentorial and supratentorial aneurysms).
Results:
Cerebral blood flow was higher in perimesencephalic hemorrhage patients (mean: 63·8) than in aneurysmal sub-arachnoid hemorrhage patients (mean: 55·9; difference of means: -7·9 [95% confidence interval: -10·7 to -5·2]) and also in the sub-group with comparable amounts of blood (mean cerebral blood flow: 56·4; difference of means: -7·4 [95% confidence interval: -10·4 to -4·3]). Cerebral blood flow was comparable with perimesencephalic hemorrhage patients for the sub-group with posterior circulation aneurysms (difference of means: -0·7 [95% confidence interval: -5·2 to 3·8]); however, differences diverged after stratifying posterior circulation aneurysms into supratentorial (difference of means -3·9 [95% confidence interval: -9·3 to 1·4]) and infratentorial aneurysms (difference of means 3·0 [95% confidence interval: -2·8 to 8·8]).
Conclusions:
Perimesencephalic hemorrhage patients have a higher cerebral blood flow than aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. The findings of this study further support a venous origin of bleeding in perimesencephalic hemorrhage patients. Future studies should further elaborate on cerebral blood flow in posterior circulation aneurysms.
