Endovascular therapy: new alternative for treatment of cerebral vasospasm associated with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

Cerebral vasospasm is the first treatable cause of death and disability secondary to spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured cerebral aneurysms. However, its treatment has been disapointing with poor results. Despite the fact that the physiopathologic mechanisms governing this phenomenon are largely unknown, during the last nine years, simultaneously with the development of endovascular therapy techniques for treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, two new alternatives have emerged in order to alleviate cerebral vasospasm: intraarterial papaverine and cerebral balloon angioplasty. We report the use of intraarterial papaverine in one case to treat cerebral vasospasm presented during the endovascular therapy procedure; a review of literature is included.