title: Centrifugal distribution of regional cerebral blood flow and its time course in traumatic intracerebral hematomas.
abstract: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations following post-traumatic contusions have been demonstrated in recent papers. We evaluated regional CBF (rCBF) by means of Xenon-enhanced computerized tomography (Xe-CT) in 29 traumatic intracerebral hematomas, from 22 patients with severe head injury (GCS < or = 8). Fifty traumatic hematoma/Xe-CT CBF measurements were obtained from 39 Xe-CT studies performed during the acute phase (corresponding to the first 20 days post-injury). The rCBF was measured in three different regions of interest: the hemorrhagic core, the perihematoma edematous low-density area, and a 1-cm rim of perihematoma normal-appearing brain tissue, surrounding the edematous low-density area. We found a centrifugal improvement of rCBF as well as a decrease in the rates of CBF levels below 18 mL/100 g/min from the core to the periphery (p < 0.0001), which persisted over time. Ischemic rCBF values were detected in the perihematoma low-density area only in 24% of the traumatic hematomas. The time course of rCBF levels showed a reduced flow in the first 24 h, with a recovery of flow from day 2 to day 4, followed by another reduced flow (p < or = 0.0001) both in the perihematoma edematous low-density area and in the non-lesioned tissue. Our findings suggest that the only area with persistent ischemic values was the hemorrhagic core. Low rCBF levels seen in the perihematoma low-density area may only be ascribed partially to ischemia and can possibly recover over time. These results could encourage a surgical approach based on an early evacuation of the hemorrhagic core associated to a preservation of the surrounding edematous tissue.
authors.affiliation: Neurorianimazione, Unità Operativa Anesteis e Rianimazne, Ospedale M. Bufalini, Cesena, Italy. achiere@ausl-cesena/emr.it
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chieregato
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fainardi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Servadei
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanfani
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pascarella
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Targa
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D020202:Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014978:Xenon
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014978:Xenon