Nitropaste for prevention and relief of vascular spasm.

Surgical neuroangiographic procedures (therapeutic embolizations) in the head and neck are often complicated by vascular spasm, particularly in external carotid artery branches. Numerous methods to relieve spasm have been attempted, including intraarterial administration of nitroglycerin, papavarine, contrast material, and lidocaine [1 , 2]. Local infiltration with procaine has also been used [3]. Despite these measures, results are not always adequate, and procedures have had to be aborted . We report a very simple and evidently safe method to prevent vasospasm, which has proved effective in 10 cases. Nitropaste is a cutaneously applied nitroglycerin ointment that has conSistently had the vasodilatory effects we require without any of the complications sometimes encountered with other preparations.