Dynamic perfusion-CT assessment of early changes in blood brain barrier permeability of acute ischaemic stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
Damage to the blood brain barrier (BBB) may lead to haemorrhagic transformation after ischaemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of patient characteristics and stroke severity on admission BBB permeability (BBBP) values measured with perfusion-CT (PCT) in acute ischaemic stroke patients.


METHODS
We retrospectively identified 65 patients with proven ischaemic stroke admitted within 12 hours after symptom onset. Patients' charts were reviewed for demographic variables and vascular risk factors. The Patlak's model was applied to calculate BBBP values from the PCT data in the infarct core, penumbra and non-ischaemic tissue in the contralateral hemisphere. Mean BBBP values and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated in the different tissue types. Effects of demographic variables and risk factors on BBBP were analyzed using a multivariate, generalized estimating equations (GEE) model.


RESULTS
BBBP values in the infarct core (mean [95%CI]: 2.48 [2.16-2.85]) and penumbra (2.48 [2.21-2.79]) were significantly higher than in non-ischaemic tissue (2.12 [1.88-2.39]). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that collateral filling has effect on BBBP. Less elevated BBBP values were associated with more than 50% collateral filling.


CONCLUSIONS
BBBP values are increased in ischaemic brain tissue on the admission PCT scan of acute ischaemic stroke patients. Less abnormally elevated BBBP values were observed in patients with more than 50% collateral filling, possibly explaining why there is a relationship between more collateral filling and a lower incidence of haemorrhagic transformation.
University of California, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Neuroradiology Section, San Francisco, USA.
J W
JW
Dankbaar
J
J
Hom
T
T
Schneider
S-C
SC
Cheng
J
J
Bredno
B C
BC
Lau
I C
IC
van der Schaaf
M
M
Wintermark
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media