Iatrogenic arterial spasm relieved by intraarterial mannitol infusion

Catheter placement for blood brain-barrier disruption and enhanced chemothe rapy delivery can sometimes trigger arterial spasm of moderate-to-severe de gree, A slow infusion of a small quantity of intraarterially administered m annitol (10 mL of 25% mannitol) was evaluated as a means to obtain a rapid resolution of catheter placement-induced spasm, We prospectively report 12 consecutive cases of blood brain-barrier disruption among patients who deve loped catheter placement-induced spasm that was treated by this means witho ut side effects, resulting in rapid resolution of spasm.