Quantification of intracerebral steal in patients with arteriovenous malformation

Eleven patients with angiographically and/or pathologically proved arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) were studied using dynamic, single-photon-emission computed tomography (DSPECT). Quantification of regional cerebral blood flow in structurally normal areas remote from the AVM disclosed areas of decreased flow compared with normal controls in eight of 11 patients examined. Areas of hypoperfusion correlated with altered function as manifested by epileptogenic foci and impaired cognitive function. Dynamic, single-photon-emission computed tomography provides a noninvasive technique to monitor quantitatively hemodynamic changes associated with AVMs. Our findings suggest that such changes are present in the majority of patients with AVMs and that they may be clinically significant. The potential application of regional cerebral blood flow imaging by DSPECT in the management of patients with AVMs is discussed.