Recurrent Cerebral Vasospasm and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia Weeks Subsequent to Elective Clipping of an Unruptured Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm

BACKGROUND: Cerebral vasospasm and delayed ischemic neurologic deficits are well-known clinical aftereffects of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. However, vasospasm with consequential ischemia after clipping of an unruptured aneurysm is an exceedingly rare sequela encountered in the reported neurosurgical literature. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 53-year-old woman had presented for elective craniotomy with microsurgical clipping of an unruptured left middle cerebral artery bifurcation saccular aneurysm, which was successfully treated without complications. Despite an initially benign clinical course, she experienced diffuse vasospasm with profound ischemic neurologic deficits on postoperative day 13 with a left middle cerebral artery distribution ischemic infarct. Moreover, she developed recurrent delayed spasm of the right posterior cerebral artery on postoperative day 26 and, consequentially, a left homonymous hemianopsia despite treatment with intra-arterial verapamil infusion. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, we have reported the first case of recurrent cerebral vasospasm and delayed ischemia neurologic deficits weeks subsequent to clipping of an unruptured aneurysm. The findings from the present case highlight the importance of considering delayed vasospasm as a cause of acute onset neurologic symptoms for patients who have recently undergone elective aneurysm surgery. We also reviewed the current data regarding the epidemiology, surgical factors, and proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms related to vasospasm after elective cases.