Cerebral blood flow evaluation of arteriovenous malformations with stable xenon CT.

Twenty patients with supratentorial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) were evaluated with angiography, conventional CT, and stable xenon CT to determine cerebral blood flow. Contralateral and ipsilateral regions of interest relative to the AVM were evaluated from cerebral blood flow maps and correlated with angiography. A significant decrease in cerebral blood flow was observed in the ipsilateral cortical gray matter adjacent to the AVM relative to the corresponding contralateral cortex (mean difference = 9.52 ml/100 g/min, p less than .01). The larger AVMs (greater than 8 cm3) were associated with a more marked decrease with a mean difference of 12.22 ml/100 g/min (p less than .02). Regions of interest were also chosen on the basis of angiographic findings, which suggested areas of decreased flow. Comparison of these areas with analogous contralateral areas also showed a significant decline in cerebral blood flow (mean difference = 8.86 ml/100 g/min); this decline was greater with larger AVMs (volume greater than 8 cm3), which had a mean difference of 11.38 ml/100 g/min (p less than .01). Our correlative study enabled us to pinpoint the regions most likely to have reduced flow from an AVM.