Clinical Outcomes of Coil Embolization for Acutely Ruptured Aneurysm. Comparison with Results of Neck Clipping when Coil Embolization is Considered the First Option.

The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate clinical results in patients with acutely ruptured cerebral aneurysm treated by neck clipping (NC) or coil embolization (CE) when CE was considered the first option. Between 1998 and 2003, 280 patients with acutely ruptured cerebral aneurysms excluding intracerebral hematoma were evaluated. Patients were managed prospectively according to the following protocol: primary treatment modality was CE (n=179). NC (n=101) was selected for the patients with aneurysms that were small (less than 2 mm) or an unsuitable shape for CE. Surgical complication rates were 4.5% for CE and 16.8% for NC. Symptomatic vasospasm occurred in 8.4% of CE patients and 29% of NC patients. Good recovery on the Glasgow Outcome Scale was achieved by 71% of CE patients and 50% of NC patients at discharge. Surgical complications and symptomatic vasospasm were significantly reduced in CE compared to NC. Clinical outcome at discharge was also better with CE. Although 18.3% of CE patients showed various degrees of aneurysmal recanalization and 7% of CE patients required additional treatment (re-CE or NC), aneurysmal rebleeding occurred in only one patient during followup (mean, 3.95 years).