AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Jan 2009
Comparative StudyTracer delay-insensitive algorithm can improve reliability of CT perfusion imaging for cerebrovascular steno-occlusive disease: comparison with quantitative single-photon emission CT.
Reliability of CT perfusion (CTP) algorithms has not been fully validated. We investigated whether the cerebral blood flow (CBF) values obtained by using a dynamic CTP technique with a tracer delay-insensitive deconvolution algorithm are more accurate than those obtained by using CTP with delay-sensitive algorithms in unilateral cerebrovascular steno-occlusive disease, when compared with those generated by quantitative single-photon emission CT (SPECT). ⋯ With the CTP technique, the insensitivity of the deconvolution algorithm to the tracer-delay effect appears to be essential for estimating semiquantitative CBF values in patients with unilateral steno-occlusive lesions.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Jan 2009
Clinical TrialIntra-arterial nicardipine infusion improves CT perfusion-measured cerebral blood flow in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced vasospasm.
Our aim was to determine the effects of intra-arterial (IA) nicardipine infusion on the cerebral hemodynamics of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH)-induced vasospasm by using first-pass quantitative cine CT perfusion (CTP). ⋯ IA nicardipine improves CBF and MTT in ischemic regions in patients with aSAH-induced vasospasm. Our data provide a tissue-level complement to the favorable effects of IA nicardipine reported on prior angiographic studies. CTP may provide a surrogate marker for monitoring the success of treatment strategies in patients with aSAH-induced vasospasm.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Jan 2009
Normal thickness and appearance of the prevertebral soft tissues on multidetector CT.
Analysis of the prevertebral soft tissue (PVST) is helpful in detecting osseous and ligamentous injuries of the cervical spine. Because the standard of care has shifted from radiographs to multidetector CT (MDCT), a re-examination of the PVST on MDCT images is needed to establish normal values for thickness appropriate for this imaging technique. ⋯ The thickness of the PVST is important in the detection of underlying injuries to the cervical spine. We propose the obtained values as the upper limits of normal for PVST thickness on MDCT images in the adult population.