Delayed Decompressive Craniectomy Improves the Long-term Outcomes in Hypertensive Rats with Space-occupying Cerebral Infarction

• DOI: 10.1007/s12028-007-0074-0
• Publication Date: 2007-08-14T14:56:23Z
• Authors: Zhan Zhao; Jian Yu; Songjie Liao; Li Xiong; Zhijian Liang; Li Ling; Fang Wang; Qinghua Hou; Wenliang Zhou; Zhong Pei; Jinsheng Zeng
• Keywords: Male; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Disease Models, Animal; 03 medical and health sciences; Hypertension, Renovascular; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Animals; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Decompression, Surgical; Craniotomy; Rats

No experimental data has been published on the long-term effects of decompressive craniotomy in hypertensive rats with space-occupying cerebral infarction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of decompressive craniectomy in a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of hypertensive rats in a prolonged period.Totally 92 stroke-prone renovascular hypertensive rats (RHRSP) were subjected to left MCAO by an endovascular occlusion technique. The decompressive craniectomy was performed on 26 RHRSP at 1 and 24 h after MCAO, respectively. Infarct volume, neurological performance, and mortality were evaluated at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after MCAO.The mortality was reduced from 52.5% in controls to 7.7% and 23.1% in the rats underwent craniectomy at 1 and 24 h after MCAO, respectively (P < 0.05, respectively). All of the treated rats presented smaller infarct volume from 1 week to 8 weeks and better neurological performance at 4-8 weeks after MCAO compared to the controls (P < 0.05, respectively). The craniectomy at early stage was more effective than that at late stage in reducing infarct volume and improving neurological performances at 1 and 2 weeks (P < 0.05, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in infarct volume and neurological scores between the treated groups of rats at 4 and 8 weeks after MCAO (P > 0.05).Although the early craniectomy is more effective than delayed craniectomy in improving short-term outcome, the latter has the similar beneficial effects as early craniectomy on long-term outcome in hypertensive rats with space-occupying cerebral infarction.