BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Patients with SAH are at increased risk of delayed infarction. Early detection and treatment of delayed infarction remain challenging. We assessed blood-brain barrier permeability, measured as permeability surface area product, by using CTP in patients with SAH with delayed infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective study of patients with SAH with delayed infarction on follow-up NCCT. CTP was performed before the development of delayed infarction. CTP data were postprocessed into permeability surface area product, CBF, and MTT maps. Coregistration was performed to align the infarcted region on the follow-up NCCT with the corresponding location on the CTP maps obtained before infarction. Permeability surface area product, CBF, and MTT values were then obtained in the location of the subsequent infarction. The contralateral noninfarcted region was compared with the affected side in each patient. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were performed to determine statistical significance. Clinical data were collected at the time of CTP and at the time of follow-up NCCT. RESULTS Twenty-one patients with SAH were included in the study. There was a statistically significant increase in permeability surface area product in the regions of subsequent infarction compared with the contralateral control regions (P < .0001). However, CBF and MTT values were not significantly different in these 2 regions. Subsequent follow-up NCCT demonstrated new delayed infarction in all 21 patients, at which time 38% of patients had new focal neurologic deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals a statistically significant increase in permeability surface area product preceding delayed infarction in patients with SAH. Further investigation of early permeability changes in SAH may provide new insights into the prediction of delayed infarction.

Background and Purpose Blood brain barrier permeability (BBBP) is not presently routinely evaluated in the clinical setting. Global cerebral edema (GCE) occurs after SAH and is associated with BBB disruption. Detection of GCE is challenging using current imaging techniques. Our purpose was to apply BBBP imaging in patients with GCE using extended pass CT Perfusion (CTP). Methods SAH patients underwent CTP in the early phase after aneurysmal rupture (days 0-3) and were classified as GCE or non-GCE using established non-contrast CT criteria. CTP were post-processed into BBBP quantitative maps of PS (permeability surface area product), K-trans (volume transfer constant from blood plasma to extravascular extracellular space, EES), Kep (washout rate constant of the contrast agent from EES to intravascular space), VE (EES volume per unit of tissue volume), VP (plasmatic volume per unit of tissue volume) and F (plasma flow) using Olea Sphere software. Mean values were compared using t-tests. Results 22 patients were included in the analysis. Kep (1.32 versus 1.52, p < 0.0001), K-trans (0.15 versus 0.19, p < 0.0001), VP (0.51 versus 0.57, p = 0.0007) and F (1176 versus 1329, p = 0.0001) were decreased in GCE compared to non-GCE while VE (0.81 versus 0.39, p < 0.0001) was increased. Conclusion Extended CTP was utilized to evaluate BBBP in SAH patients with and without GCE. Kep is an important indicator of altered BBBP in patients with decreased blood flow, as Kep is flow-independent. Further study of BBBP is needed to improve diagnosis and monitoring of GCE.

Background and Purpose Permeability surface area product has been suggested as a marker for BBB permeability with potential applications in clinical care and research. However, few studies have demonstrated its correlation with actual quantitative measurements of BBB permeability. Our aim was to demonstrate the correlation of quantitative permeability surface area product and BBB permeability in a murine model by histologic confirmation. Materials and Methods Coronal MRI was performed on mice treated with mannitol (n=6) for disruption of the BBB and controls treated with saline (n=5). Permeability surface area product was determined by ROI placement and compared between saline and mannitol treated mice. Correlation was made with contrast enhancement measurements and immunohistologic stained sections of tripeptidyl peptidase-1 distribution in mice treated with mannitol and saline followed by injection of a viral vector containing the CLN2 gene, which directs production of tripeptidyl peptidase-1. Results Significantly increased permeability surface area product was seen in mannitol compared to saline-treated mice in the whole brain (P = 0.008), MCA territory (P = 0.014) and mixed vascular territories (P = 0.008). These findings were compared to contrast enhancement measurements of BBB permeability and correlated with immunohistologic stained sections demonstrating BBB permeability to a large vector. Conclusion Permeability surface area product is increased in situations with known disruptions of the BBB, as evidenced by immunologic staining of large vector passage through the BBB and concordance with contrast enhancement measurements in a murine model. Quantitative permeability surface area product has potential as an imaging marker of BBB permeability.