Cerebrovascular reactivity to acetazolamide in carotid artery disease. Enhancement of side-to-side CBF asymmetry indicates critically reduced perfusion pressure.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF), measured with a mobile 10 detector unit and non-invasive Xenon-133 technique, was investigated before and after cerebral vasodilation with acetazolamide (Diamox) in 78 patients prior to carotid endarterectomy. The change in side-to-side CBF asymmetry from baseline to Diamox study, the Diamox asymmetry enhancement, was compared with the intraoperatively measured cerebral perfusion pressures. Asymmetry enhancement exceeded the methodological variation in 14 patients, 13 of whom had a perfusion pressure below 65 mmHg. Insignificant asymmetry enhancement was found in 64 patients: 52 with unilateral and 12 with bilateral disease. Of these two and four patients, respectively, had perfusion pressures below 65 mmHg. Enhancement of CBF asymmetry following a potent cerebral vasodilator stimulus is a reliable predictor, in unilateral carotid artery disease, of critically reduced cerebral perfusion pressure.