title: Cerebrovascular resistive index assessed by duplex Doppler sonography and its relationship to intracranial pressure in infantile hydrocephalus.
abstract: Duplex Doppler sonography and direct intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement were performed on 18 patients with infantile hydrocephalus. ICP was measured through a frontal reservoir or ventricular tap using a nondisplacement pressure transducer. The Pourcelot Resistive Index, RI = (peak systolic-end diastolic)/peak systolic velocity was obtained from pulsed-wave Doppler measurements of blood flow velocity in the anterior (ACA) and/or the middle cerebral (MCA) arteries. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between ICP and RIs in the MCA and ACA. Paired RI measurements in 7 patients with raised ICP decreased significantly from a mean of 0.90 pre-tap to 0.75 post-tap. Our results suggest that the RI provides a reliable measure of cerebrovascular resistance in hydrocephalus. Duplex Doppler ultrasonography thus is a useful noninvasive means of monitoring cerebrohaemodynamic change with simultaneous imaging of ventricular size in infantile hydrocephalus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Minns
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hendry
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thambyayah
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Steers
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D014465:Ultrasonics