This study was conducted on 26 hybrid rabbits. Five rabbits were placed in a control group, 5 were placed in a sham group, and the remaining rabbits (n = 16) were placed in the SAH group. In the first 2 weeks, 5 animals in the SAH group died. The other 21 animals were decapitated after the 4-week follow-up period. Choroidal artery changes resulting from vasospasm, aqueduct volume, ependymal cell density, and Evans index values of brain ventricles were obtained and compared statistically.
Mean aqueduct volume was 1.137 mm3 ± 0.096, normal ependymal cell density was 4560/mm2 ± 745, and Evans index was 0.32 ± 0.05 in control animals (n = 5); these values were 1.247 mm3 ± 0.112, 3568/mm2 ± 612, and 0.34 ± 0.15 in sham animals (n = 5); 1.676 mm3 ± 0.123, 2923/mm2 ± 591, and 0.43 ± 0.09 in animals without aqueductal stenosis (n = 5); and 0.650 mm3 ± 0.011, 1234/mm2 ± 498, and 0.60 ± 0.18 in animals with severe aqueductal stenosis (n = 6). The choroidal vasospasm index values were 1.160 ± 0.040 in the control group, 1.150 ± 0.175 in the sham group, 1.760 ± 0.125 in the nonstenotic group, and 2.262 ± 0.160 in the stenotic group. Aqueduct volumes, ependymal cell densities, Evans index, and choroidal artery vasospasm index values were statistically significantly different between groups (P < 0.05).
Ependymal cell desquamation and subependymal basal membrane destruction related to choroidal artery vasospasm may lead to aqueductal stenosis and hydrocephalus after SAH.