Long term outcome after subarachnoid haemorrhage of unknown aetiology.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess the long term outcome after non-aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).

METHODS

1154 patients with SAH were treated in our hospital between 1989 and 1999. From this patient population, 97 patients had a non-aneurysmal SAH. All hospital records and death certificates were studied and 33 patients were examined by MRI and MR angiography more than 9 years (mean 12 years) after the initial bleeding.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 97 patients. Mean follow-up time was 9 years (range 0-19). During the follow-up period, 13 patients (13%) died. Four (4%) died from the initial bleeding less than 5 weeks after the initial haemorrhage. There was no delayed mortality due to SAH or subsequent bleedings. MR angiography revealed no new findings in 33 surviving patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Excess mortality during the first year after SAH was higher than 4%, and remained thereafter comparable with the general population. There were no rebleedings and MR imaging did not reveal any vascular pathology that could explain the earlier SAH.