Cerebral blood volume in acute brain infarction: A combined study with dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI and 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this study was to correlate the abnormality in cerebral blood volume (CBV) measured by dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI with that in cerebral blood flow (CBF) estimated by single-photon emission CT with [99mTc]hexamethylpropylenamine-oxime in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS Nine patients with unilateral occlusion of either the middle cerebral artery or the internal carotid artery (4 men and 5 women; mean+/-SD age, 74.4+/-11.6 years) were studied within 6 hours after stroke onset. The relative CBV (relCBV) and CBF (relCBF) in the lesions were defined relative to the contralateral mirror regions. RESULTS In the brain regions with mild (relCBF >/=0.60), moderate (0.401.0) regions was significantly lower than that for hypovolemic (relCBV <1.0) regions in the relCBF range between 0.40 and 0.50 (P<0.02). CONCLUSIONS In acute ischemic stroke within 6 hours of onset the CBV can be either increased, normal, or decreased, depending on the severity of hypoperfusion. The increased CBV has a protective effect on evolving infarction. Although the CBF is a better predictor of tissue outcome, the CBV measurement may help detect potentially salvageable brain tissue in the penumbra with compromised blood flow.