1981 Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 268-274
Direct injection of 133Xe has been used for measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in internal carotid arterial territory, but little is known as to whether this technique can be utilized for measurements of CBF within the vertebrobasilar artery system. This study investigated a validity of 133Xe injection into the vertebral artery for CBF measurement of infratentorium.
A catheter was inserted into either left or right vertebral artery through the femoral artery under florescopic control to directly inject 1-2 mCi of 133Xe. Similar catheter procedures were used for CBF measurement for the internal carotid artery. Four probes as well as seven probes fitted with collimaters of 40 mm lenght and 17 mm diameter were placed respectively over posterior fossa and cerebral hemisphere. Cerebral blood flow values for vertebrobasilar arterial system (V-CBF) and for internal carotid arterial system (I-CBF) were calculated from the initial part of clearance curves.
Measurements were made in 7 patients with infra-tentorial stroke. The patients' clinical severities were of different degrees. The results obtained could be summarized as follows : (1) The more severe the grade of disturbed consciousness, the more apparent the decrease of V-CBF. (2) In patients with mild disturbance of consciousness, the decrease of V-CBF was more prominent compared to I-CBF. (3) In comatose or semicomatose patients. I-CBF and V-CBF were markedly reduced showing indentical values. These results indicate the possibility and clinical usefulness of V-CBF measurement in stroke patients.
