Y. Yoshimoto et al., SIGNIFICANCE OF PUPILLARY REACTIVITY IN POOR-GRADE ANEURYSM PATIENTS AS A PROGNOSTIC FACTOR AND AN INDICATION FOR ACTIVE TREATMENT, British journal of neurosurgery, 11(1), 1997, pp. 25-31
Sixty-eight patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) who were admi
tted in a comatose state were studied to determine the factors influen
cing mortality and to seek criteria for case management. Overall, the
functional recovery (good recovery or moderate disability) rate was 33
%, with a mortality rate of 50%. Bilaterally unreactive pupils on admi
ssion was a powerful predictor of death (p <0.0001): outcome of these
patients was poor regardless of any treatment modalities with a mortal
ity rate of 91% (20/22). Initial poor motor response (abnormal flexion
, extension, or nil) was also significantly related with death (p <0.0
5). However, motor response was a less powerful predictor than pupilla
ry reactivity. Motor response often altered spontaneously during the 1
2 h after admission, whereas pupillary reactivity tended to be stable.
Initial reactive pupils were shown to be an indicator of spontaneous
improvement of motor response. These findings indicate that pupillary
reactivity may be a reliable predictor of outcome in poor-grade SAH pa
tients.