Impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: Myth or reality?

Objective: To investigate the impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhages. Methods: We retrospectively identified all patients admitted to the department of neurosurgery during 1992 and 2004 suffering from aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. The onset of bleeding was compared with the lunar phase. Results: We did not observe any significant impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage in 717 consecutive patients (p = 0.84). Conclusion: The impact of the lunar cycle on aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage is a myth rather than reality. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.