Severe symptomatic vasospasm after rupture of an arteriovenous malformation

A 31-year-old woman had intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage from an arteriovenous malformation. Vasospasm of the internal carotid arteries developed and was treated with angioplasty. On initial CT scans, only traces of blood were seen in the basal cisterns; thus, the development of symptomatic vasospasm was an unexpected complication.