Distribution of cerebral blood flow in the caudate nucleus, lentiform nucleus and thalamus in patients with carotid artery stenosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis on the distribution of blood flow to the caudate nucleus, lentiform nucleus, and thalamus.


METHODS
We studied 18 healthy control subjects, 20 patients with a unilateral asymptomatic ICA stenosis, and 15 patients with a recently symptomatic unilateral ICA stenosis. The contribution of the ICAs and the basilar artery to the perfusion of the deep brain structures was assessed by perfusion territory selective arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI. Differences were tested with a two-tailed Fishers' exact test.


RESULTS
The caudate nucleus was predominantly supplied with blood by the ipsilateral ICA in all groups. In 4 of the 15 (27%) the symptomatic patients, the caudate nucleus partially received blood from the contralateral ICA, compared to none of the 18 healthy control subjects (p = 0.03). The lentiform nucleus and the thalamus were predominantly supplied with blood by the ipsilateral ICA and basilar artery respectively in all groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with a symptomatic ICA stenosis, the caudate nucleus may be supplied with blood by the contralateral ICA more often than in healthy controls.
Hartkamp
Nolan S
NS
Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. n.s.hartkamp@umcutrecht.nl
Bokkers
Reinoud P H
RP
van der Worp
H Bart
HB
van Osch
M J P
MJ
Kappelle
L Jaap
LJ
Hendrikse
Jeroen
J
D000368:Aged; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010477:Perfusion; D013788:Thalamus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*