A series of 63 patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) operated on during an eight-year period is presented. Indications for surgery and the timing of operation are discussed. Monitoring of epidural pressure was of help in assessing the intracranial pressure state, which is important in patient management in the acute stage, in timing of surgery, and in postoperative supervision. The operative mortality was one patient (1.6%). Two patients died due to incomplete resection and late rebleeding two years after operation. Among the others the overall result of surgery was good with respect to neurological deficit and working capacity.

The use of a pulsed echo Doppler technique during surgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformation is described. The equipment and the methods employed are presented. The main advantages are easy determination of flow direction and pattern of the vasculature involved, allowing a precise discrimination between inflow and outflow channels. Deep-seated malformations, not visible at the brain surface, can be located with the Doppler technique. The ultrasound probe was placed on the brain surface with a slight pressure on the intact pia mater. The precise direction and depth of the malformation could be determined in relation to the recording site. This facilitated the planning of cortical incisions, identification of vessels involved, and the vascular procedure to be employed.

The use of a pulsed echo Doppler technique during procedures for occlusion of intracranial aneurysms is described. Saccular aneurysms can be located with reference to probe position and depth setting. Tracings of intra-aneurysmal flow are presented, and the characteristic flow pattern is disucssed. Special emphasis has been placed on the parent artery flow, particularly the effect of lumen reduction on flow velocity. Results of flow velocity studies on the cognate (direct) and collateral flow in the middle cerebral artery and the proximal anterior cerebral artery are presented and discussed.

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Cerebral arterial blood flow was monitored in 22 patients undergoing surgery for intracranial saccular aneurysms. An electromagnetic flow probe was used to record the internal carotid artery (ICA) flow in the neck or intracranially in seven patients. The ICA flow ranged between 100 and 175 ml/min (average 144 ml/min). Intracranial flow measurements with specially designed probes were made in 17 patients. The middle cerebral artery (MCA) showed flow values between 75 and 120 ml/min (average 97 ml/min). Flow figures recorded from the proximal anterior cerebral artery (ACA) were lower (average 65 ml/min), and had a wider range from 30 to 110 ml/min. Test occlusion of the terminal ICA showed a retrograde flow in the proximal ACA to the MCA ranging from 15 to 125 ml/min (average 78 ml/min). This test was used to investigate the collateral potential of the anterior portion of the circle of Willis, which is essential to the decision of whether to undertake trap ligation procedures in this location. Flow monitoring in the parent vessel was also of use in some patients to assess flow conditions after the clipping of the aneurysm neck.