An approach to cerebral vasodilatory capacity in unilateral and bilateral cerebrovascular diseases using radiolabeled human serum albumin.

The acute cerebrovascular response to acetazolamide was assessed using a blood pool agent and planar dynamic imaging to evaluate cerebral vasodilatory capacity. Ten normal subjects and 12 patients with unilateral or bilateral cerebrovascular disease were studied. After the injection of radiolabeled human serum albumin, dynamic imaging of the anterior view of the head was started. Ten minutes later, 1000 mg of acetazolamide was infused. The dilatation index (the percent increase in activity at the peak response) was obtained for each cerebral hemisphere. The mean dilatation index in normal subjects was 17.1 +/- 3.2% (N = 20). The value was significantly lower in patients with multiple infarcts (7.7 +/- 1.1%, N = 8, P < 0.001), and below the normal range in two involved hemispheres of five patients with unilateral occlusive carotid artery disease and in three hemispheres of three patients with moyamoya disease. It was suggested that this simple method may be useful in assessing cerebral vasodilatory capacity in both unilateral and bilateral diseases.