[Regional cerebral blood flow monitoring using thermal diffusion flowmetry. Description of 3 cases]

Cerebral blood flow is the most important physiologic parameter in the setting of brain injury. A regional measurement of the flow (rCBF), can be obtained using continuous methods such as thermal diffusion flowmetry (TD-rCBF). This technology of monitoring allows us to detect and quantify ischemic events related with the temporary artery clipping or malposition of the definitive clip and in patients who have suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or a traumatic brain injury. Likewise, the precocious detection of ischemic events might help us to adopt more rapidly therapeutic measures and more efficienty. Three cases show during aneurysm clipping procedures and at intensive care: the effects of different hypnotics on TD-rCBF values; the relationship between TD-rCBF and somatosensory and motor evoked potentials; and changes in TD-rCBF and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TDU) during a vasospasm. TD-rCBF showed in real-time flow variations induced by anaesthetics and detected changes of CBF earlier than evoked potentials and TDU.