Postoperative changes on brain SPECT imaging after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A potential pitfall in the evaluation of vasospasm.
Serial brain SPECT imaging was performed on patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage and surgical clipping of intracranial aneurysms. A total of 20 HMPAO scans were performed on 9 patients in whom clinical vasospasm did not develop. Areas of diminished regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were found near the operative site in 17 of 20 studies, which did not correlate with the patients' neurologic condition and were suggestive of postoperative edema. Brain SPECT imaging has a potentially valuable role to play in the evaluation of postoperative patients susceptible to vasospasm; however, it is important to be aware of postoperative changes in rCBF that are not related to vasospasm.
Rosen
J M
JM
Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.
Butala
A V
AV
Oropello
J M
JM
Sacher
M
M
Rudolph
S H
SH
Goldsmith
S J
SJ
Holan
V
V
Stritzke
P
P
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime