Is angiographic spasm real spasm?

Summary

Systematic morphological study of the cerebral arteries was made in six autopsy cases of ruptured aneurysms. The time course of the arterial luminal narrowing was observed by repeated angiograms, and segments of the narrowed arteries were studied histologically.

Various histological changes were found consistent with the angiographic findings. We have devided these into three stages according to the duration of the disease.

In the acute stage (less than one day) the contraction of the medial smooth muscle cells may be the main cause of the luminal narrowing. In the subacute stage, arteries showed a reduction in lumen size with medial thickening, marked corrugation of the internal elastic lamina, and thrombus formation attached to the endothelial surface. If vasoconstriction remained localized to the same segment for several days, the intimai or medial thickening and thrombus might produce the luminal narrowing consistent with the angiographic narrowing. In the chronic stage (more than two weeks), most cases showed dilatation of the arterial lumen on angiography. These arteries showed frank necrosis of the smooth muscle cells histologically. In a case which demonstrated progressive luminal narrowing on angiograms over 2 weeks, the arterial wall showed luminal narrowing with cellulofibrous thickening of the intima and organization of the thrombus.

The presence of these structural changes in the narrowed arteries seen at angiography seems to be very important for proper understanding and treatment of vasospasm.