Prognostic significance of blood brain barrier permeability in acute hemorrhagic stroke.
BACKGROUND
Blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption is accompanied by edema in the surrounding areas of the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The aim of the study was to clarify the correlation between BBB breakdown and outcome in ICH.


METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with primary ICH were included in the study. Each patient underwent CT and DTPA-SPECT, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and modified Rankin score were performed as well.


RESULTS
DTPA-SPECT had a significant correlation with the modified Rankin score after 3 months (p = 0.008) and 6 months (p = 0.01). The CT scan was directly correlated with the NIH score on days 1, 7 and 30 (p = 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 0.04, respectively). No correlation was found between DTPA-SPECT and CT scan data.


CONCLUSIONS
The degree of BBB breakdown, as imaged by the DTPA-SPECT technique, was directly correlated with the late functional outcome. The CT scan has an inverse correlation with the NIH score. These findings may have broad clinical implications.
Lampl
Yair
Y
Department of Neurology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel. Y_Lampl@hotmail.com
Shmuilovich
Olga
O
Lockman
Judith
J
Sadeh
Menahem
M
Lorberboym
Mordechai
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate