Measurement of regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen utilisation in patients with cerebral tumours using 15O and positron emission tomography: analytical techniques and preliminary results.

Regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen utilisation have been studied in 8 patients with brain tumours using continuous inhalation of C15O2 and 15O2 and positron emission tomography. The methods used to analyse the regional cerebral pathophysiology are presented. A relative uncoupling between oxygen consumption and blood flow was observed in all tumours as indicated by a decreased regional fractional extraction of oxygen (rOER). This suggest that a major proportion of these tumours had sufficient blood supply to meet oxygen metabolic demand. A decrease of blood flow in grey matter was found both in the affected and contralateral hemispheres of the brain. Matched reductions of flow and oxygen utilisation were observed in oedematous tissue.