[Importance of dynamics of scintigraphic changes in the brain for prognosis in stroke]

The results of scintigraphic investigations of the brain were analysed in patients with ischaemic strokes. In all cases scintigraphic investigation was done twice at least. Particular attention is called to the dynamic development of changes in the size of pathological foci in relation to the degree of improvement in the neurological condition of the patients over one year of follow up. Among patients with considerable neurological improvement control investigations carried out after 4 to 8 weeks of the disease demonstrated return of normal scintigraphic findings or a considerable reduction in the size of pathological foci. On the other hand, in patients without neurological improvement pathological scintigraphic changes persisted much longer, they were present in the investigations performed after 4 to 8 weeks, and even after 3--4 months. The presented observations point out that scintigraphic investigations of the brain can have a prognostic significance for the prognosis in brain strokes. These investigations must be done, however, at least twice between the 2nd and 3rd weeks and between the 4th and 8th weeks of the disease. Normalization of scintigraphic findings or a considerable reduction in the size of the pathological changes in the second investigation may suggest good prognosis.