title: Real-Time, In Vivo Monitoring, and Quantitative Assessment of Intra-Arterial Vasospasm Therapy.
abstract: Our study aimed to evaluate whether the effect of an intra-arterial vasospasm therapy can be assessed quantitatively by in vivo blood flow analysis using the postprocessing algorithm parametric color coding (PCC).
  
  
  
  We evaluated 17 patients presenting with acute clinical deterioration due to vasospasm following subarachnoidal hemorrhage treated with intra-arterial nimodipine application. Pre- and post-interventional DSA series were post-processed by PCC. The relative time to maximum opacification (rTmax) was calculated in 14 arterially and venously located points of interest. From that data, the pre- and post-interventional cerebral circulation time (CirT) was calculated. Additionally, the arterial vessel diameters were measured. Pre- and post-interventional values were compared and tested for significance, respectively.
  
  
  
  Flow analysis revealed in all arterial vessel segments a non-statistically significant prolongation of rTmax after treatment. The mean CirT was 5.62 s (±1.19 s) pre-interventionally and 5.16 s (±0.81 s) post-interventionally, and the difference turned out as statistically significant (p = 0.039). A significantly increased diameter was measurable in all arterial segments post-interventionally.
  
  
  
  PCC is a fast applicable imaging technique that allows via real-time and in vivo blood flow analysis a quantitative assessment of the effect of intra-arterial vasospasm therapy. Our results seem to validate in vivo that an intra-arterial nimodipine application induces not only vasodilatation of the larger vessels, but also improves the microcirculatory flow, leading to a shortened cerebral CirT that reaches normal range post-interventionally. Procedural monitoring via PCC offers the option to compare quantitatively different therapy regimes, which allows optimization of existing approaches and implementation of individualized treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. philipp.goelitz@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gölitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaschka
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roessler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Knossalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doerfler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064926:Neurophysiological Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009553:Nimodipine
keywords: Cerebral vasospasm; Endovascular treatment; Image postprocessing; Subarachnoidal hemorrhage; Vascular disease