An Assessment of Early Platelet Activity in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Middle Cerebral Artery Thrombosis in the Cat

There is increasing evidence that platelets play a key role in the development of arterial occlusive lesions and in the tissue response to them. Direct evidence for a platelet contribution in experimental vascular occlusive stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage was sought. Platelet counts were done on jugular blood before and after production of the vascular lesion. Craniectomy had little or no effect but occlusion or puncture of the middle cerebral artery invariably produced a prompt and striking fall in the platelet count of venous blood draining the affected side. Some implications of this observation are discussed.