Perfusion Computed Tomography as a Screening Tool for Pending Delayed Cerebral Ischemia in Comatose Patients After...

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is frequently complicated by delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), leading to poor outcomes. Early diagnosis of DCI is crucial for improving survival and outcomes but remains challenging in comatose patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate computed tomography with angiography and perfusion (P-CT) as a screening modality on postictal days four and eight for impending DCI after aSAH in comatose patients using vasospasm with hypoperfusion (hVS) as a surrogate and DCI-related infarction as an outcome measure. Two objectives were set: (1) to evaluate the screening's ability to accurately risk stratify patients and (2) to assess the validity of P-CT screening.

We conducted a retrospective review of the records of comatose patients with aSAH from January 2019 to December 2021 who were monitored with P-CT scans on days four and eight. The event rates of DCI-related infarction, hVS, and endovascular rescue therapy (ERT) were analyzed, and the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) for DCI were calculated. DCI-related infarction was defined as new secondary cerebral infarction > 48 h < 6 weeks post aSAH not attributable to other causes, and hVS was defined as arterial narrowing with corresponding hypoperfusion on P-CT.

Fifty-six comatose patients were included, and 98 P-CT scans were performed. The incidence of DCI-related infarction was 40%. Screening P-CT on days four and eight found vasospasm in 23% of all patients, including 11% with hVS. A positive hVS on day four or eight revealed a relative risk of 2.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-5.11, p = 0.03], sensitivity of 23% (95% CI 8-45, p = 0.03), specificity of 95% (95% CI 36-100, p = 0.03), PPV of 0.83 (95% CI 0.36-1.00, p = 0.03), and NPV of 0.65 (95% CI 0.50-0.78). Six positive P-CT scans led to digital subtraction angiography in five patients, three of whom received ERT. All ERT-intervened patients developed DCI-related infarction.

P-CT resulted in few interventions and often resulted in late detection of DCI at an irreversible stage. Although a positive P-CT result accurately predicts impending DCI-related infarction, screening on days four and eight alone in comatose patients with aSAH often fails to timely detect impending DCI. Based on our analysis, we cannot recommend P-CT as a screening modality. P-CT is likely best used as a confirmatory test prior to invasive interventions when guided by continuous multimodal monitoring; however, prospective studies with comparison groups are warranted. The need for a reliable continuous screening modality is evident because of the high rate of deterioration and narrow treatment window.