Clinical brain death with preserved cerebral arterial circulation

We present a case of a 44-year old male suffering from severe subarachnoid haemorrhage secondary to a ruptured basilar artery aneurysm. Clinical examination on 3 consecutive days fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of clinical brain death. Nevertheless, cerebral angiograms showed intracranial filling until the third day after the bleeding. Autopsy showed acute infarction of the brain stem and the cerebellum.