3-DIMENSIONAL CT ANGIOGRAPHY OF INTRACRANIAL VASOSPASM FOLLOWING SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE

We evaluated the usefulness of three-dimensional CT angiography (3D-CT A) in the diagnosis of intracranial vasospasm following subarachnoid h aemorrhage (SAH) in 13 patients suspected of having vasospasm on clini cal grounds. The intracranial vessels were clearly shown by 3D-CTA in 12 patients. 3D-CTA revealed spasm in the vessels of nine patients. Ca theter angiography performed in seven of these patients immediately af ter 3D-CTA confirmed vasospasm. A low-attenuation area was seen on CT in the other two patients, representing an ischaemic lesion due to the spasm. In nine patients, a second 3D-CTA was performed using the same technique 1 week after the first, showing no vasospasm. Initial 3D-CT A revealed no vasospasm change in three patients. Following 3D-CTA, on e of these had conventional angiography, which also demonstrated no sp asm.