Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Moyamoya Disease

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to report the results of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in cases with cerebro-vascular Moyamoya disease. The rCBF was measured in their chronic state using a gamma camera system (Toshiba DAP 5000N) with Xe133 clearance method. The subjects consist of 2 cases suffered from subarachnoid hemorrhage, 2 cases primary intraventricular hemorrhage and 3 cases cerebral infarction. The results obtained from this series were as follows;
1) rCBF in frontal region at rest showed relatively high value in 5 cases and in 2 cases low value comparing with mean CBF.
2) rCBF in parieto-occipital region at rest showed relatively low value in 5 cases and high value in 2 cases comparing with mean CBF.
3) rCBF in the area corresponding to Moyamoya region generally showed slightly low value and showed relatively high value in 2 cases comparing with mean CBF. These findings coincide rather well to the development of Moyamoya in cerebral angiography.
4)rCBF changes by hyperventilation test revealed flow reduction in frontal, central and parietooccipital region, but the flow was almost unchanged in Moyamoya region by this test.
Thus, from the data mentioned above following consideration might be indicated, i. e. the flow was relatively maintained in Moyamoya region as well as in other cortical regions of the same hemisphere. Additionally, vascular CO₂ response to hyperventilation test seemed to fairly be abolished in the area corresponding to Moyamoya region, but it seemed rather intact in the other cortical regions.