Carotid blood flow in man determined by video dilution technique: II. Vascular abnormalities.

Carotid blood flows were evaluated in 31 individuals with vascular abnormalities using the video dilution technique. In patients with stenoses, angiographically estimated at 70%, blood flow was usually, but not always, measured less than normal. The technique proved to be useful in the evaluation of the efficiency of collateral arterial pathways and in the evaluation of superficial temporal-middle cerebral arterial bypass grafts. It was also helpful in estimating contralateral increase in arterial flows with cross compression techniques for the preoperative evaluation of patients subjected to carotid sacrifice. In a limited number of patients video dilution flows correlated with the degree or proximal arterial spasm and were useful in the preoperative study of these patients. The demonstration of flow abnormalities in patient with seizure disorders may be useful in the medical and surgical management of these individuals.