Cerebral hemodynamics in patients with chronic obstructive carotid disease by rCBF, rCBV, and rCBV/rCBF ratio using...

To evaluate cerebral hemodynamics, 21 patients with chronic occlusion or severe stenosis of the internal carotid or middle cerebral artery with normal or only lacunar infarction on x-ray CT were studied using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We measured rCBV with 99mTc erythrocytes after rCBF with 133Xe, and calculated rCBV/rCBF. rCBF and rCBV of the 25 affected hemispheres were classified as (a) patients with normal rCBF [type I (n = 7) and type II (n = 3)]; (b) patients with decreased rCBF [type III (n = 6) and type IV (n = 9)]. These two groups then could be subdivided according to findings of rCBV, normal, and increased blood volumes. rCBV/rCBF increased as the cerebral perfusion pressure dropped from type I to type III. In type IV, other situations but cerebral autoregulation could be assumed. rCBV/rCBF signifies vascular mean transit time. Type III (high rCBV/rCBF) assumed as the increased OEF, misery perfusion as reported in PET. We propose rCBF, rCBV and rCBV/rCBF using SPECT can be an index for cerebral circulatory reserve.