Vasospasm is a common complication that may occur 5 to 10 days after SAH (Fig. 2). Irritating blood byproducts cause the walls of an artery to contract and spasm. Vasospasm narrows the inside diameter (lumen) of the artery and thereby reduces blood flow to that region of the brain, causing a secondary stroke.

What is a major cause of vasospasm in a hemorrhagic stroke?

Causes and Risk Factors

Patients who have experienced hemorrhagic stroke are at an increased risk of developing a cerebral vasospasm. Patients with atherosclerosis, a condition where fatty deposits build up and harden on the inside of the arteries, are at an increased risk of developing coronary artery vasospasms.

What is vasospasm in the presence of subarachnoid haemorrhage?

Cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a well-described phenomenon that is defined as narrowing of the large and medium-sized intracranial arteries ; most often, it affects the anterior circulation supplied by the internal carotid arteries.