Novel treatments for cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

Cerebral vasospasm is a major cause of cerebral ischemia and poor outcomes in the setting of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment of SAH, the pathophysiol-ogy of vasospasm is still poorly understood and outcomes remain disappointing. Recent advances in understanding the role of hemoglobin in initiating an inflammatory cascade in the subarachnoid space open new avenues for therapy. Preliminary experimental and clinical evidence indicate that targets in the inflammatory and oxidative cascades hold promise in reducing the incidence and impact of cerebral vasospasm. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.