Evaluation of Cerebral Hemispheric Contrast Transit with Intravenous Digital Subtraction Angiography
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
333 Evaluation of Cerebral Hemispheric Contrast Transit with Intravenous Digital Subtraction Angiography Joachim F. Seeger,1 Raymond F. Carmody, Janice R. L. Smith, Theron W. Ovitt, and Kevin McNeill Thirty-six patients with varying degrees of stenosis of one and with minimal or no stenosis on th e opposite side with intrave internal carotid artery were studied using intravenous digital nous DSA. Our intravenous technique has been described [6]. subtraction angiography, assessing relative hemispheric wash Images were obtained with a speciall y designed system using an in and washout of contrast medium. Ipsilateral delayed contrast image intensifier with 14, 10, and 6 in ch (35.6, 25.4, and 15.2 cm) transit was seen in 16 of 18 patients with a 70% or greater field capabilities. Th e initial arch aortogram covered a fi eld from th e carotid artery stenosis. Decreased hemispheric peak contrast aorti c arch to just beyond the common carotid artery bifurcations. den sity was also seen in most of these patients. With further Subsequent oblique views of th e neck, to demonstrate the common improvements in the computer program and faster imaging rates, carotid bifurcations optimall y, in cluded th e distal common carotid intravenous digital subtraction angiography has the capability of arteries and bifurcations, as well as th e en tire internal caroti d providing valuable physiologic data along with anatomic infor arteries, including their cavernou s segments. The vertebral arteries mation in patients with suspected cerebral ischemia. also were generall y seen in their en tirety. The fin al anteroposterior (or posteroanterior) head images were collimated to th e skull pe ri phery wi th a lead template and comprised th e distal internal carotid In an attempt to identify or quantify changes in cerebral perfusion and vertebral arteries and the entire intracranial vasculature, in in patients with transient ischemi c attacks (TIAs), studies of cere cluding the peripheral middle cerebral artery territori es. Images brovascular transit times have been perform ed in nuclear medicine were obtained at a rate of one/ sec with a 512 x 512 matrix and at with radionuclide angiography, using either visual or computer two/ sec with a 512 x 256 matrix. assisted analysis [1 , 2]. Similar principles have been used with Th e digital head images were acquired in a linear mode and rapid , sequential (dynamic) computed tomographic (CT) scanning could be amplified in ei ther a linear or logarithmic fash ion. Logarith of the brain after intravenous bolus infusion of iodinated contrast mic amplification was generall y optimal for demonstratin g vessels medium [3, 4], taking advantage of the more precise intracranial passing through the dense skull base, but th e linear mode was anatomic detail of CT. However, neither technique provides what often superior in areas of more uniform background density, such many consider to be the most important information, namely, the as the peripheral cerebral vascular territori es. The relative wash in morphology of the arteries in the neck and head. This information and washout of contrast materi al in the distal internal carotid arteries can only be supplied by cervicocerebral angiography. However, and middle cerebral artery territories were evalu ated by visual angiography carries a small but definite ri sk and a significant examination, from initial opacificati on through the venous phase. expense and generally is not used as a screening examination. More recently, in an attempt to increase the sensitivity of the study The recent advent of intravenous digital subtraction angiography in cases with subtle differences on visual inspection, time-density (DSA ) has provided a new, safe, and relatively simple means of cu rves have been derived from computer-defined regions of interest assessing, on an outpatient basis, the anatomy of the aortic arch obtained from identical areas in each middle cerebral artery terri and great vessel origins, the common and intern al carotid arteri es, tory. We are currently im proving the program to all ow th e examin er th e vertebral arteries, and th e major intracranial arteri es [5, 6]. It more flexibility in defining the contours of the regions of interest. can be used as a screening procedure and in many instances has replaced conventional angiography as the definitive preoperative examination in patients with TIAs. Since an intravenous injection Results simultaneously delivers contrast material to all the vessels leading Eighteen pati ents had a measured 70% or greater diameter to the brain, intravenous DSA should also be able to provide stenosis of one distal common or proximal intern al carotid artery at physiologic transit time information similar to radionuclide angiog intravenous DSA. Sixteen of these showed a delay of contrast raphy. The objective of this preliminary study was to determin e if transit distal to the stenosis compared with the unaffected side, but intravenous DSA can demonstrate changes in contrast transit on three could not be studied beyond the arterial phase because of th e side of a carotid stenosis. image-deg rad ing motion artifacts. The other 13 patients showed a relative delay in washin and washout of contrast material in th e middle cerebral artery territory on the side of stenosis, even though Subjects and Methods there was a variable degree of demonstrable coll ateral circulation We studied 36 consecutive patients with a 50% or greater through th e circle of Willis. Three patients had computer-generated diameter stenosis of one common and/ or internal carotid artery time-density curves that confirmed the contrast delay and also I All authors: Department of Rad iology. University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. Tu cson. AZ 85724. Address reprint requ ests 10 J. F. Seege r. AJNR 4:333-337, May / June 1983 0 195-6108/ 83/ 0403-0333 $00.00 © Ameri can Roentgen Ray Soc iety 334 NEW CONTRAST AGENTS AJNR:4, May/ June 1982 Fig. 1 .- Case 1. A, Oblique view of neck. A high-grade stenosis of left internal carotid artery origin (arrow). B, Serial one/ sec images show relative delay in both opacification and clearing of left intern al carotid and left middle cerebral arteries, and decreased contrast density in lef; convexity region compared with right. Note lack of collateral flow to left middle cerebral artery Left posterior cerebral artery (arrow) should not be mistaken for A 1 segment, which presumabl, is hypoplastic. A 1 \, 6 3 B showed a decrease in peak contrast density compared with th e wash in and washout on the side of stenosis occurred in an asyml - unaffected side. A fourth case showed a delay but an in crease in tomati c patient. peak contrast density on th e side of th e stenosis. Only one of th e 18 cases with less th an 70% stenosis (a measured 66%) showed an observable, albeit ve ry subtl e, relati ve delay in contrast transit, Representative Case Reports confirmed by computer-generated time-density curves. Case 1 Since nearl y all patients were stud ied for transient cerebral ischemia, and because of the lim ited numbers in thi s preliminary A 70-year-old man noted a bruit in th e left neck wh il e lyin g in bed report, no good correlation was fou nd between th e degree of at night. He gave no hi story of TIAs or oth er evidence of cerebr" delayed transit or the decrease in peak contrast density and clinical vascular in suffic iency. An abnorm al left oculopleth ysmog ram led a symptoms. In fact, one of th e most clear-cut examples of delayed intravenous DSA, which demonstrated a hi gh-grade stenosis at lie AJNR:4, May/ June 1983 NEW CONTRAST AGENTS 335 Fig. 2.-Case 2. A, Serial paired im ages show technique of obtaining re gions of interest from right (left of pair) and left (right of pair) middle cerebral artery territories for time-density meas urements. Visual in spection alone shows 1 2 delay in contrast transil and decreased peak cortical ··stain ·· on right. B, Time- I density curves derived from A show de- lay as well as lower peak on right. .. 3 4 I· I 5· 6 J orig in of the left internal carotid artery (fig. 1 A) . Delayed opacifica Case 2 tion and clearing of the left internal carotid and left middle cerebral artery were demonstrated on serial head images (figs. 1 B and 1 C). A 65-year-old man who had undergone a recent left carotid The st udy also provided additional important intracranial anatomic endarterectomy was seen after 1 day of several attacks of left body in formation by reveali ng a very hypoplastic proximal left anterior weakness and numbness. A focal stenosis at the right internal cerebral artery, which prevented significant right-to-Ieft coll ateral carotid artery origin was beli eved to be present but was difficult to circulation into the proxim al middle cerebral artery. Although con define with intravenous DSA due to vertebral artery superimposition. jectural, it could be argued that this patient was at a higher risk for However, serial head images clearly showed a relative delay of in farction because of this variation in the circle of Willis. Left carotid contrast flow on th e right (fig. 2A), and subsequent computer endarterectomy was performed without incident. generated time-density measurements showed both a delay and a 336 NEW CONTRAST AGENTS AJNR:4, May/ June 1983 Fig. 3. - 75-year-old man with clini cally suspected vertebrobasilar in suffi ciency. Four serial paired images show lefl internal carotid and left vertebral ar tery occlusion. Visual inspection shows simultaneous opacification of middle cerebral arteri es but slightly less density over left midconvexity (image 4).