Changes of cerebral density in dialyzed patients.

CT studies were made on 38 patients receiving different dialytic treatment, 10 patients with chronic renal failure not yet dialyzed, and 15 healthy subjects. No morphological modifications were observed. On the contrary, significant changes of density were demonstrated after a dialysis session in the population treated intermittently. In these patients the density values were similar to those registered in the controls 1-6 h after a dialysis session. End stage renal failure and CAPD patients always had normal density values. Therefore cerebral density changes are caused only by the intermittent dialytic treatment.