PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Rodriguez y Baena

Publications and source records attributed to R Rodriguez y Baena.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Arnold's neuralgia caused by solitary fibrous tumor. Case report.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a mesenchymal tumor which has been identified in a wide variety of localizations, including soft tissues, peritoneum, retroperitoneum, mediastinum, upper respiratory tract, nasopharyngeal sinuses, periosteum and extremities, orbit, major body cavities, intraspinal and intracranial localizations. The authors describe a case of SFT found in the neck of a young patient suffering from Arnold's neuralgia. After surgery, diagnosis of SFT was based on characteristic histopathological findings, especially on immunohistochemical positive staining for CD34 antigen. It has been described also the characteristic patterns making this diagnose sure, focusing the point that cure is possible with complete excision of the lesion.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Meningeal melanocytoma of the temporal lobe. An uncommon tumor in an unusual location. Case report.

Meningeal melanocytomas are rare pigmented tumors of the central nervous system. These tumors are benign melanotic lesions that derive from the melanocytes of the leptomeninges. They may occur anywhere in the cranial and spinal meninges; however, they are found prevalently in the posterior fossa and in the spinal cord. Their epidemiological features, natural history and response to treatment remain poorly understood, even if, in the last 2 years, some reviews have been published about it. We report a new case of intracranial supratentorial meningeal melanocytoma, in the temporal lobe, occurring in a 27-year-old man, admitted to our Institute with a long-time history of seizures. We report histological and radiological characteristics of our case, and briefly review the therapeutical options reported in literature. Preoperative neuroradiological finding is unclear; the preoperative diagnosis is usually meningioma, because of the long duration of symptomatology and the radiological appearance of the lesion as an extra-axial mass. Diagnosis of these lesions, as in our case, is made intraoperatively by the gross, jet-black appearance of the tumor and by histological examination. In spite of the benign biologic behaviour, the prognosis remains uncertain, because of the possible local recurrences. According to the results of some works of the last years, it seems appropriate to use postoperative radiotherapy for those patients with symptomatic residual, progressive or recurrent tumors not amenable to further resection.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Isolated cerebellar involvement in Rosai-Dorfman disease: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Sinus histiocytosis or Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare but well-recognized disorder characterized by an unusual proliferation of histiocytic cells. Intracranial localization is a rare manifestation of RDD. Only three cases of localization in the posterior fossa have been reported in the literature. The present report describes the first case, to our knowledge, of cerebellar localization of RDD. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old woman was admitted to our institution with a 5-month history of cerebellar ataxia. Her medical history was unremarkable. The patient was alert and cooperative. No cranial nerve deficits were evident; Romberg positivity to the left side was recorded. No cutaneous abnormalities, lymphadenopathy, or hepatosplenomegaly were revealed by physical examination. Routine hematological and biochemical studies were normal except for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which was elevated. Radiologically, the lesion appeared as a well-defined and avascular mass in the right cerebellar lobe. Meningioma was considered the most likely diagnosis. TECHNIQUE: The patient underwent a suboccipital craniotomy with complete excision of the lesion. Microscopic examination of the operative specimen revealed the presence of a mixed cellular population with predominant mature histiocytes. A peculiar feature was the presence of lymphocytes and monocytes within the cytoplasm of histiocytes (emperipolesis). Immunohistochemical study of the histiocytes revealed strong positivity for S-100, CD-68 antigen, and vimentin. CONCLUSION: Involvement of the central nervous system in RDD appears to have a benign prognosis, especially in the absence of nodal diseases. Surgery is essential for diagnosis, and, when total removal is achieved, the outcome is generally good without risk of recurrence.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Metalloproteases and intracranial vascular lesions.

Recent studies have suggested that metalloproteinases (MMP) might be involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral aneurysm formation and rupture and that elevated serum levels of MMP may effectively be considered as possible markers of cerebrovascular malformations. The present study was planned in order to verify if serum levels of MMPs may be the mirror of the MMP activity in the wall of intracranial aneurysms, reflecting the predisposition to aneurysm development and/or rupture. A series of 84 patients operated for intracranial cerebrovascular lesions (63 aneurysms and 21 arterovenous malformations (AVM)) and 20 controls entered the study. Among the 63 cases of intracranial aneurysms, nine were discovered before rupture, while 54 patients were included after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Using radioimmunoassay, plasma elastase levels were measured in all cases, while in 25 cases, when aneurysmectomy was possible, the activity of elastase and collagenase were measured in aneurysm samples. Mean plasma elastase level in patients bearing both an intracranial aneurysm or an intracranial AVM was significantly higher than in controls, while there was no significant difference between plasmatic level of elastase in patients with aneurysms when compared with patients bearing an intracranial AVM; there was no significant difference between mean elastase level in patients who suffered SAH and patients bearing an intracranial unruptured aneurysm. The activity of elastase and collagenase measured in the aneurysm wall were significantly higher in cases of ruptured than in unruptured aneurysms. The present results show that plasmatic level of elastase does not reflect the activity of MMP as measured in the aneurysm wall and that the patterns of MMP activities measured in the aneurysm wall differ considerably at different stages of SAH. This suggests that local rather than systemic changes in metalloproteases activity might be involved in cerebral aneurysm formation and rupture.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Collagenase-1 and stromelysin distribution in fresh human herniated intervertebral disc: a possible link to the in vivo inflammatory reactions.

Chondrocytes may play an important role in the inflammatory reactions involving intervertebral discs: the role of metalloproteases (MMP) and the imbalance between proteases and their inhibitors seems to play a crucial role in the disc degenerative process. In the present study we have analysed the production of collagenase-1 and stromelysin in different parts of herniated intervertebral discs. Ten samples of herniated lumbar discs were obtained from adult patients operated on for primary microdiscectomy because of persistent radicular symptoms and subdivided into three samples: 1. The nearest to the nerve root in close contact with it, 2. the sample obtained from the intervertebral space, and 3. the sample obtained from the vertebral plates. The DNA content of each specimen was measured in order to obtain the best estimate of the cell content as well as to normalise the content of collagenase-1 and stromelysin found in the same tissues with respect to the number of cells. In 9 out of the 10 cases the DNA content was significantly higher in samples obtained from the intervertebral plates than in samples obtained near the nerve root or the intervertebral space. DNA content did not show any significant difference considering disc samples contiguous to the nerve root and samples obtained from the intervertebral space. The production of collagenase-1 did not show a specific pattern, being produced in similar quantities in the three disc compartments. The production of stromelysin was significantly lower in disc samples obtained from the intervertebral plates. In conclusion the results of the present study suggest firstly that in the herniated lumbar disc the reactivity and the production of pro-inflammatory agents is independent of DNA content, i.e. the cellularity of the sample, and secondly that activated cells in the intervertebral space and in the part of the disc in contact with the nerve root, even if scarce in number, are able to synthesise a proportionally higher quantity of MMP than the high-cellular disc fragments from the intervertebral plates, potentially playing a specific role in the inflammatory reactions.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Antioxidant enzymatic activities and lipid peroxidation in cultured human chondrocytes from vertebral plate cartilage.

In vitro models based on primary cultured human chondrocytes could be useful to study the ROS-mediated inflammatory processes that seem to involve chondrocytes in vivo. In this work, we studied the enzymatic antioxidative capability of human chondrocytes removed from vertebral plates during micro-discectomy and cultured 18 days, measuring total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities. We also evaluated in the same cells the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) in order to verify the effect of the variation of the cellular enzymatic antioxidative capability on the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation. Total SOD activity increased, even if not significantly, between the 12th and the 18th day. A significant variation of GSHPx (P<0.01) and of catalase (P<0.001) activity was observed between the 3rd and the 6th day with no further variation until the 18th day. A significant increase (P<0.001) of lipid peroxidation from the 3rd to the 18th day was also observed. These results seem to indicate that only fresh human cultured chondrocytes are suitable to study, through in vitro models, the in vivo behavior of the antioxidative status of these cells.

Cartilage↗
PubMed1998

Spiral CT angiography and surgical correlations in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysms.

We investigated the accuracy of spiral computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the detection and study of intracranial aneurysms by comparing CTA with selective angiograms and surgical findings. Twenty-six patients (9 men and 17 women; mean age 53.1 +/- 1.8 years) with suspected intracranial aneurysms were submitted to CTA (1- to 2-mm slices, pitch 1:1, 24 s, RI = 1) after a conventional CT examination showing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 19 cases and during neuroradiological investigations performed for other reasons in 7 cases. One hundred twenty to 150 ml iodate contrast agent (0.3-0.4 gI/ml) were injected intravenously at 5 ml/s rate and with 12- to 25-s delay calculated with a preliminary test bolus. Three-dimensional shaded surface display (3D SSD) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstructions were obtained from axial images. Then, within 48 h, all patients were submitted to digital subtraction angiography (DSA), with separate assessment of CTA and DSA findings. Twenty-two aneurysms shown by CTA were confirmed at DSA and surgery (true positives), whereas the vascular lesion was not confirmed at DSA in 2 cases (false positives). The presence of intracranial aneurysms was excluded at both CTA and subsequent DSA in 7 cases (true negatives) and there were no false negatives; sensitivity was 100 %, specificity 77.8 %, and diagnostic accuracy 93.5 %. Computed tomography angiography aneurysm location was confirmed at surgery in all cases, with very high accuracy in assessing the presence of an aneurysm neck (100 %). Computed tomography angiography accurately depicted the aneurysm shape in 20 of 22 cases, but failed to depict its multilobed nature in 2 cases. The mean aneurysm diameter calculated at CTA was 0.99 +/- 0.12 cm vs 1.09 +/- 0.11 cm at surgery (p < 0.01). The present results suggest that the high sensitivity of CTA, if confirmed by further studies, might help in avoiding having to resort to arteriography after negative CTA in SAH patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Collagen cross-linkage, elastolytic and collagenolytic activities in cerebral aneurysms: a preliminary investigation.

The pathogenesis of aneurysms formation and rupture is not clearly understood and is undoubtedly a multifactorial event. It is generally accepted that the aneurysm arises from an interaction between structural weakness of arterial wall and hemodynamic factors. Previous studies suggested the possible role of collagenolytic and elastolytic activities in aneurysm development, leading to extracellular matrix alteration. The content of collagen 3-hydroxypiridinium cross-links and elastase and collagenase activities were measured in 12 samples of intracranial aneurysms and in control specimens obtained from temporal superficial arteries and from autoptic samples of Willis Circle. Collagen content is significantly lower in aneurysm than in autoptic control samples (p < 0.01). The total amount of cross-links is significantly lower in ruptured aneurysms than in unruptured and autoptic controls (p < 0.01). Collagenase and elastase activities are significantly increased in ruptured cerebral aneurysms versus unruptured aneurysms (p < 0.01). Linear regression shows that an inverse relationship exists between cross-links content and both elastolytic (p = 0.0032) and collagenolytic (p < 0.001) activities in aneurysmal samples. Multiple regression shows that collagenase has a more important statistic impact (p = 0.027) than elastase (p = 0.08). The results of the study supports the hypothesis that an imbalance of protease-antiprotease homeostasis with elevated collagenolytic and elastolytic activities may represent the predisposing condition leading to aneurysms rupture through collagen depauperation and reduced cross-linkage of collagen fibres.

Collagen↗
PubMed1998

Antioxidant status and alpha1-antiproteinase activity in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

The antiproteasic activity of alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1-AT) is reduced in cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage from ruptured intracranial aneurysm and particularly in patients currently smoking; alpha1-AT is very sensitive to oxidant agents. About 50% of physiological anti-oxidant systemic capacity is represented by Vitamin A, E and C. Plasmatic amounts of alpha1-AT, alpha1-AT Collagenase Inhibitory Capacity (CIC) and levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C were analyzed in 39 patients, 26 women and 13 men, operated for intracranial aneurysm; 11 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysm were considered as controls while 28 patients were included within 12 hours from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Plasmatic levels of vitamin A and vitamin E were significantly lower (p=0.038 and p=0.0158) in patients suffering SAH than in controls, while no statistically significant differences were found in mean plasmatic vitamin C levels. Level of alpha1-AT was not statistically different in controls and in patients with SAH; however, the activity of alpha1-AT, evaluated as CIC, is significantly reduced in patients with SAH (p=0.019). We have observed that systemic plasmatic levels of vitamins did not significantly differ in relation to smoking habit. Vitamin A and E represent an important defensive system against free radicals reactions. Particularly, vitamin E acts as an antioxidant by scavenging free-radicals. A reduced anti-oxidant status might be related to the higher sensibility of alpha1-AT to oxidative reactions and the activity of alpha1-AT is dependent on the antioxidant capacity of liposoluble vitamins. We can speculate that an acute systemic oxidative stress condition might influence the rupture of intracranial aneurysms.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1998

Cisternal CSF levels of cytokines after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Cytokines are considered as mediators of immune and inflammatory responses. Cisternal CSF levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and of the soluble adhesion molecule E-selectin were evaluated in patients operated on for intracranial aneurysms. Cisternal CSF samples were obtained at surgery in 41 selected patients (31 with diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and 10 control patients operated on for incidental unruptured aneurysms); 14 patients were operated within 72 h after SAH (early surgery) and 17 were operated after day 10 after the hemorrhage (delayed surgery). The CSF levels of cytokines were evaluated using radioimmunoassay and their concentrations were related to the timing of surgery, the amount of cisternal subarachnoid blood clots and the onset of clinical and angiographical evidence of arterial vasospasm. Mean cisternal CSF levels of IL-6, IL-8 and AMCP-1 are significantly higher in samples obtained from patients early operated after SAH, while levels of E-selectin were below the threshold value of the method in all 41 cases. In the early operated group 7 patients presented symptomatic vasospasm: levels of IL-8 and MCP-1 were not significantly different were compared to those of uncomplicated cases; on the other hand, significantly higher levels of IL-6 were shown in the subgroup of patients operated within 72 h after SAH and developing vasospasm. Among the patients undergoing delayed surgery 5 presented symptomatic vasospasm, but no significant difference was shown in cisternal CSF levels of cytokines measured. The results of the present study show that in patients with unruptured aneurysms cytokines are present in cisternal CSF in scarce quantities and that in subarachnoid spaces after SAH there is an impressive increase of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1. Moreover, the higher cisternal CSF levels of IL-6 found in the early stage after SAH might have a predictive value regarding the occurrence of symptomatic vasospasm.

Chemokine CCL2↗
PubMed1998

Oxidative stress in the human brain after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECT: The aim of this study was to verify the patterns of antioxidant enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the human brain after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) to verify whether an "oxidative stress situation" characterizes the brain response to subarachnoid bleeding. METHODS: Forty samples of gyrus rectus or temporal operculum that were obtained during a surgical approach to anterior circulation aneurysms were used for this study. The activity of total SOD, GSH-Px, and the SOD/GSH/Px ratio (which expresses the balance between the production of hydrogen peroxides by dismutation of superoxide radicals and the scavenging potential) were calculated in each case. Twelve samples were obtained from patients who underwent surgery for unruptured aneurysms (control group); 13 samples were obtained during surgical procedures performed within 72 hours of SAH; and 15 samples were obtained during delayed surgical procedures (> 10 days post-SAH). Ten patients presented with clinical deterioration caused by arterial vasospasm. In both SAH groups, the mean total SOD activity was significantly higher than in the control group (p=0.029). The mean activity of GSH-Px did not differ significantly between the SAH and control groups (p=0.731). There was a significant increase in the SOD/GSH-Px ratio in both SAH groups, as compared with controls (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the enzymatic activity and the clinical severity of the hemorrhage, with findings of lower values of SOD and, mainly, of the SOD/GSH-Px ratio in the poor-grade patients. The SOD/GSH-Px ratio was 2.14+/-0.44 in patients who presented with clinical vasospasm and 1.24+/-0.2 in cases without vasospasm. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show an imbalance of the antioxidant enzymatic activities in the human brain after SAH. which is linked to the severity of the initial bleeding and possibly modified by the development of arterial vasospasm.

Aneurysm, Ruptured↗
PubMed1998

Morphology of peri-implant regenerated bone, in sheep's tibia, by means of guided tissue regeneration.

BACKGROUND: No data on the resistance to functional loads of bone regenerated by means of guided tissue regeneration, can be found. In this paper the new-formed bone is analyzed, in cases that see the surgical creation of defects in testing animals. The morphological aspects of perimplant bone, regenerated by means of bone substitutes or not, were evaluated. METHODS: A coronal defect was created by means of a counter-sink bur. The following step provided for osseointegrated fixtures, with a machined or blasted (TiOblast) surface, to be installed. Some bone defects were filled with Bio-Oss, and covered with resorbable membrane (Vycril), others were left unfilled. The animals were sacrificed after different periods of time (24 and 45 days). Some thick sections (200 microns) underwent then microradiography and were examined with a microscope, under transmitted and polarized light. Other sections, thin (5 microns), were coloured with toluidine blue, Gomori's Stain and Solochrome Cyanine/Congo red. RESULTS: Data confirm the excellent behaviour of bovine bone and of TiO blasted fixtures. The experimental results bring into evidence that, in cases of Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) by means of membrane, the use of fixtures with a blasted surface (TiOblast), and of Bio-Oss as bone substitute, made osseointegration easier. CONCLUSIONS: Results, moreover, suggest that in case of implant surgery with GBR, in order to allow the maturation of regenerated bone, it's healing time must be prolonged.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A cost-effectiveness analysis on different surgical strategies for intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Economical studies on surgery of intracranial aneurysms have considered only the significant benefit of surgical approach on unruptured aneurysms and no studies have been performed comparing cost/benefit analysis of early vs delayed surgery. The present study was retrospectively performed in order to verify whether different treatment options in aneurysm surgery have a different cost/benefit ratio. METHODS: We have analysed a series of 137 patients which underwent surgery for intracranial aneurysms (21 unruptured aneurysms, 56 early surgery and 60 delayed surgery). In the analysis we assumed that each state of an operated patient has an assigned quality of life value and an associated medical cost. We expressed the outcome of each patient as the expected length of survival adjusted for quality, and referred to it as "quality-adjusted life years" (QALY). We considered for each patient the direct cost of Hospitalisation (obtained from DRG reimbursement), the Rehabilitation cost and the correction due to QALY adjusted for age and deficit. RESULTS: Significantly higher costs are reported in patients which present as major complication the hydrocephalus and which are treated with nimodipine; moreover, the costs for patients operated for unruptured aneurysms is significantly lower than that of patients which presented with SAH. Meanwhile, the average QALY adjusted for post-operative neurological deficit at three months follow-up is higher in patients operated for unruptured aneurysms than in patients operated after SAH. The cost-effectiveness of different treatment strategies did not significantly differ considering age and neurological deficit adjustment; thus, after SAH, the choice of early or delayed surgery may depend on clinical and logistic conditions related to the neurosurgical department and its organisation, because there is no significant economical advantage leading to recommend early versus delayed surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion the present data suggest that a decreased length of hospitalisation and a decreased cost for treatment of unruptured aneurysms should justify a more rigorous preventive screening with available non invasive neuroimaging techniques.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Deficiency of total collagen content and of deoxypyridinoline in intracranial aneurysm walls.

The tissue contents of total collagen and of 3-hydroxypyridinium cross-links, pyridinoline (PYD) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD), were measured in 15 samples of human aneurysms of Willis' Circle obtained at surgery and in 25 autopsy control samples of intracranial arteries of Willis' Circle obtained from 6 subjects who died of other causes than cerebral hemorrhage. PYD and DPD were detected fluorimetrically after HPLC separation. Total collagen content was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in aneurysm samples (mean +/- S.E.M. 2.50 +/- 0.33 nmol of alpha 1(I) collagen chain per mg of delipidated and dried material) than in controls (mean +/- S.E.M. 3.86 +/- 0.14). DPD, but not PYD, content appears to be lower in aneurysm walls. In the aneurysms, the tissue contents of PYD ranged from 212 to 587 pmol/nmol of alpha 1(I) collagen chain (mean +/- S.E.M. 430 +/- 31) while in control samples the values observed ranged from 292 to 642 (mean +/- S.E.M. 471 +/- 21). The tissue content of DPD was measurable only in 6 aneurysm samples (60%), ranging from 12 to 60 pmol/nmol of alpha 1(I) collagen chain (mean +/- S.E.M. 33 +/- 9), while in control samples, DPD content ranged from 30 to 123 (mean +/- S.E.M. 75 +/- 5).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Superoxide dismutase activity in cisternal cerebrospinal fluid after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.

It has been recognised that the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increases in CSF as the result of cerebral ischaemic damage. The aim of this study was to correlate the CSF levels of SOD enzymatic activity to the patterns of subarachnoid haemorrhage with regards to ischaemic complications due to vasospasm. A series of 78 patients operated on for intracranial aneurysms was studied; all patients were monitored with serial TCD measurements every second day after SAH. CSF samples were obtained at surgery by cisternal puncture of the subarachnoid cistern nearest to the aneurysm. SOD activity was assayed spectrophotometrically. Mean cisternal CSF level of SOD in 12 control cases (12.99 +/- 2.33 U/ml) is significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in 26 patients operated on between day 1 and 3 from last SAH episode (4.44 +/- 0.7 U/ml) and in 40 patients treated by delayed surgery (7.64 +/- 0.92 U/ml). In 13 patients presenting neurological deterioration related to arterial vasospasm mean cisternal SOD level was 12.23 +/- 1.86 U/ml; in 27 cases without vasospasm mean level was 5.43 +/- 0.7 U/ml (p < 001). The present results suggest that (a) cisternal CSF levels of SOD significantly decreases after SAH, probably in relation to an impaired synthesis in the brain compartment and that (b) a substantial elevation of SOD levels is evident in patients suffering ischaemic complications vasospasm-related. Biochemical events in the brain compartment could influence the expression and release of anti-oxidant enzymes in CSF after SAH.

Cerebral Ventricles↗
PubMed1997

Platelet derived growth factor and subarachnoid haemorrhage: a study on cisternal cerebrospinal fluid.

Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) was identified as a powerful mitogenic growth factor which is released from activated platelets and has a marked activity as vasoconstrictor agent. In the present study we have measured cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of PDGF in 72 patients operated on for intracranial aneurysm in order to verify whether it might be related to the clinical aspects of SAH with special regard to symptomatic vasospasm. CSF samples were obtained at surgery by cisternal puncture of the subarachnoid cistern the nearest to the aneurysm before aneurysm isolation and exclusion. The specimen were frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C until analysis. PDGF was measured using a commercially available reagent. Values are expressed as pg/ml of CSF. In 18 cases no radiological and clinical signs of SAH were detected and the mean cisternal CSF level of PDGF was 885.0 +/- 104.5 pg/ml; 20 patients were operated on between day 1 and 3 from the last SAH episode: mean cisternal CSF level of PDGF was 1917.5 +/- 459.4 pg/ml. In 34 patients treated with delayed surgery protocol, mean cisternal CSF level of PDGF was 995.3 +/- 73.8 pg/ml. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between groups (P: 0.011). In the subgroup of patients operated on within day 3 after SAH, 6 presented vasospasm and had mean cisternal CSF PDGF level which was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in 14 patients without vasospasm. In the delayed "surgical" patients there was no significant difference in cisternal CSF levels of PDGF considering the occurrence of vasospasm. The results of the present study suggest that (a) after SAH there is a significant release of PDGF early after SAH and (b) higher levels of PDGF found in cisternal CSF of patients operated on within 72 hours after SAH may be predictive of symptomatic vasospasm.

Adult↗