Elimination of metrizamide from the spinal subarachnoid space: a study of patients with abolished intracranial circulation.

Two absorptive pathways for contrast media injected into the lumbar subarachnoid space have been postulated: (1) through the intracranial parasagittal arachnoid granulations and (2) direct absorption through the spinal arachnoid villi into the blood. To study the capacity of the spinal absorptive pathway, serial measurements of metrizamide concentrations in blood serum and urine were obtained before and after lumbar intrathecal injection of contrast medium in four patients with arrested intracranial blood circulation ("brain death") and intracranial pressure exceeding systolic blood pressure who had no circulation of cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal subarachnoid space to the parasagittal arachnoid granulations. These measurements indicated a high capacity of the spinal absorptive pathway for metrizamide elimination.