Comparison of asymmetry in cerebral blood flow between brain hemispheres using digital subtraction angiography.
OBJECTIVE
Recently, endovascular techniques have gained significant therapeutic potential for both treatment and prevention of stroke. Cerebral angiography, which is an essential component of these procedures, has been used to provide morphological information regarding condition of blood vessels. In this study, we propose to determine the possibility of acquiring information regarding cerebral blood flow (CBF) in addition to morphologic information from data routinely available during angiography.


METHODS
Digital subtraction angiography sequences were obtained for eight patients having occlusive disease in internal carotid artery (ICA) territories. Two regions-of-interest (ROIs) corresponding to the two brain hemispheres on AP view were delineated. For each image, the average pixel value within each ROI was calculated and used to generate time-density curves. Indices obtained from each curve were compared with each other and with the results obtained from the single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies performed a pre- or postangiography procedure.


RESULTS
Comparison between ICA stenosis and cerebral perfusion measurements revealed that cerebral perfusion deficit can be independent of arterial occlusive disease. The indices obtained from the time-density curves exhibit a correlating trend with the results from SPECT studies. However, lack of sufficient sample data prevented any meaningful statistical analysis to be conducted.


CONCLUSIONS
We have developed a technique for utilizing the angiographic data for the important task of routinely and easily measuring CBF. Availability of CBF measurements during cerebral angiography may favorably impact upon the appropriate use of endovascular procedures and potentially contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with stroke.
Divani
Afshin A
AA
Imaging Core Laboratory, Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA. divaniaa@umdnj.edu
Qureshi
Adnan I
AI
Hoffman
Kenneth R
KR
Suri
M Fareed K
MF
Kirmani
Jawad F
JF
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C055357:ioxilan