FUNDAL HAEMORRHAGES IN RUPTURED INTRACRANIAL ANEURYSMS

Abstract

Among 195 patients with intracranial aneurysms, 79 had fundal haemorrhages (FH), an incidence of 40.5% (99% confidence limits 31–50). FH occurred alone in 26.7% and were associated with papilloedema in 13.8% of the cases. The total incidence was found to be higher than the frequencies found by similar studies, and the reasons are discussed. Among the 79 patients, 33 had mild retinal haemorrhages (grade I), in 25 the haemorrhage was more severe (grade II), and 21 had preretinal or vitreous haemorrhages (grade III). Aneurysms on the anterior communicating artery, with the tendency, upon rupture, to large haemorrhages, were responsible for the greater, part of FH as well as for the most severe cases (grade III), indicating a positive correlation between the amount of bleeding which suddenly occurs in the subarachnoid space and the incidence and severity of FH. No correlation could be demonstrated between the shape and site of FH and the aneurysmal site, or between the laterality of FH and the hemispheric site of the aneurysm.