Relationship of Serial Measurements of Cerebral Hemodynamics to Prognosis in Patients with Hypertension and Cerebrovascular Disease

Abstract

Baseline and follow-up measurements of cerebral hemodynamics were performed in hypertensive patients by the N 2 O method with a certain time interval. A tendency for some decrease in the CBF was noted, but the difference was not statistically significant. Twelve hypertensive patients suffered from a stroke during the period of observation. The CBF values prior to the stroke varied so widely that there was no predictive value from these measurements. The decrease in CBF in a mild case of cerebral infarction is slight and is followed by little fluctuation. The decrease in a case of moderate severity is marked but returns to normal in two to five months. Clinically severe cases of infarction and hemorrhage are also characterized by a marked decrease in CBF, but this decrease of infarcted cases may be irreversible. A higher incidence of recurrent infarction is noted in those patients in whom recovery of CBF following a stroke is poorest. This is most apparent in those patients suffering a recurrence within one year.

Long-term prognosis for cerebral infarction in relation to brain circulation--a 7-year follow up study.

“…They concluded that regional cerebral blood flow measurements permit the prediction of the future clinical course of the individual patients. Yamaoka et al 17 have also described a higher incidence of recurrent infarction in patients whose cerebral blood flow did not return to normal after the original attack.…”