Safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms

To study the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms with Guglielmi detachable coils.

From August 1992 until December 1995, 75 patients were referred for endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms. There were 49 women and 26 men, with a mean age of 55 years. Patients were classified according to the Hunt and Hess grading system. There were 18 Grade I patients (24%), 13 Grade II patients (17%), 30 Grade III patients (40%), 11 Grade IV patients (15%), and 3 Grade V patients (4%). Fifty patients (66%) were treated within 48 hours, and 64 (85%) were treated within 1 week of hemorrhage. The most frequently treated aneurysms were located at the basilar bifurcation (32%), anterior communicating artery (16%), posterior communicating artery (15%), and ophthalmic segment of the carotid artery (11%). Most of the aneurysms were smaller than 15 mm (77%). Fifty-six percent of the aneurysms had small (4 mm) necks, and 44% had wide (> 4 mm) necks. Clinical follow-up was performed at 6 months, and results were classified according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Control angiograms were performed immediately, at 6 months, and yearly thereafter.

Immediate angiographic results were considered to be satisfactory in 58 patients (77%) (complete obliteration, 40%; residual neck and dog ear, 37%). Technical failures occurred in 5 patients (7%), and 12 patients experienced some residual opacification of their aneurysms (16%). The procedure-related mortality and morbidity rate was 8%. At 6 months, the outcomes were as follows: GOS score of 1, 50 patients (66.7%); GOS score of 2, 4 patients (5.3%); GOS score of 3, 4 patients (5.3%); and GOS score of 5, 17 patients (22.7%). The main causes of death and disability at 6 months were the direct effect of the initial hemorrhage (9%), delayed ischemia (6.7%), subsequent bleeding (4%), intraprocedural rupture (4%), open surgical complications (3%), and unrelated deaths (4%). Six-month angiographic follow-up data were available for 50 patients (67%). The morphological results were considered to be satisfactory in 44 of these 50 patients (88%) (complete occlusion, 46%; residual neck or dog ear, 42%).

Endovascular treatment of acutely ruptured aneurysms was attempted without clinically significant complication in 92% of the patients. The morphological results were unsatisfactory in 23% of the patients. Complete obliteration of the sac, with or without residual neck, is essential to prevent subsequent bleeding, which occurred in 5% of the patients. The overall outcome at 6 months was similar to that of surgical series, despite a selected group of patients with negative prognostic factors.