Age- and anatomy-related values of blood-brain barrier permeability measured by perfusion-CT in non-stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to determine blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) values extracted from perfusion-CT (PCT) using the Patlak model and possible variations related to age, gender, race, vascular risk factors and their treatment and anatomy in non-stroke patients.


METHODS
We retrospectively identified 96 non-stroke patients who underwent a PCT study using a prolonged acquisition time up to 3 minutes. Patients' charts were reviewed for demographic data, vascular risk factors and their treatment. The Patlak model was applied to calculate BBBP values in regions of interest drawn within the basal ganglia and the gray and white matter of the different cerebral lobes. Differences in BBBP values were analyzed using a multivariate analysis considering clinical variables and anatomy.


RESULTS
Mean absolute BBBP values were 1.2 ml 100 g(-1) min(-1) and relative BBBP/CBF values were 3.5%. Statistical differences between gray and white matter were not clinically relevant. BBBP values were influenced by age, history of diabetes and/or hypertension and aspirin intake.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reports ranges of BBBP values in non-stroke patients calculated from delayed phase PCT data using the Patlak model. These ranges will be useful to detect abnormal BBBP values when assessing patients with cerebral infarction for the risk of hemorrhagic transformation.
Dankbaar
J W
JW
Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, University of California, San Francisco, 505, Parnassus Avenue, Box 0628, San Francisco, CA 94143-0628, USA.
Hom
J
J
Schneider
T
T
Cheng
S-C
SC
Lau
B C
BC
van der Schaaf
I
I
Virmani
S
S
Pohlman
S
S
Wintermark
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*