Experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage. Part I. a new approach to subarachnoid blood injection in cats.

A method for experimental production of subarachnoid haemorrhage in a cat is described. Blood from the abdominal aorta is directed to the perichiasmatic cistern through a catheter. The cistern is punctured by passing a needle through the optic foramen. Arterial bleeding into a basal cistern of the subarachnoid space, under normal pressure for the animal, with an intact skull, closely fulfils requirements of experimental simulation of subarachnoid haemorrhage.