[Analysis of causes of death in the acute period of ruptured intracranial aneurysms]

The causes of death of 80 patients with ruptured aneurysms of the brain are analysed; 37 of them underwent operation. Intracranial hypertension with edema and dislocation of the brain was the main cause of death both of patients who were operated on and of those not subjected to surgery. Intensive subarachnoid hemorrhage, vascular spasm, intracranial hematoma, and the escape of blood into the ventricles of the brain lead to the development of intracranial hematoma. Besides, in patients who were operated on, edema of the brain developed as a consequence of its injury during manipulations and clipping of a large vessel. In some cases, death of patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms was due to extracranial factors.