Factors Related to Hydrocephalus after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

TLDR

The study aimed to identify clinical and radiographic predictors of shunt‑dependent hydrocephalus in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A retrospective analysis of 718 aneurysmal SAH patients treated 1990–1999 used stepwise logistic regression to develop a scoring system for shunt‑dependent hydrocephalus. Twenty‑one percent of patients required shunting, with older age, female sex, poor Hunt‑Hess grade, thick subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, admission hydrocephalus, posterior circulation aneurysm, vasospasm, and endovascular treatment independently predicting shunt dependence, enabling risk stratification to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify factors predictive of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. The data can be used to predict which patients in this group have a high probability of requiring permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. METHODS Seven hundred eighteen patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who were treated between 1990 and 1999 were retrospectively studied, to identify factors contributing to shunt-dependent hydrocephalus. With these data, a stepwise logistic regression procedure was used to determine the effect of each variable on the development of hydrocephalus and to create a scoring system. RESULTS Overall, 152 of the 718 patients (21.2%) underwent shunting procedures for treatment of hydrocephalus. Four hundred seventy-nine of the patients (66.7%) were female. Of the factors investigated, the following were associated with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus, as determined with a variety of statistical methods: 1) increasing age (P < 0.001), 2) female sex (P = 0.015), 3) poor admission Hunt and Hess grade (P < 0.001), 4) thick subarachnoid hemorrhage on admission computed tomographic scans (P < 0.001), 5) intraventricular hemorrhage (P < 0.001), 6) radiological hydrocephalus at the time of admission (P < 0.001), 7) distal posterior circulation location of the ruptured aneurysm (P = 0.046), 8) clinical vasospasm (P < 0.001), and 9) endovascular treatment (P = 0.013). The presence of intracerebral hematomas, giant aneurysms, or multiple aneurysms did not influence the development of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus. CONCLUSION The results of this study can help identify patients with a high risk of developing shunt-dependent hydrocephalus. This may help neurosurgeons expedite treatment, may decrease the cost and length of hospital stays, and may result in improved outcomes.