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Object: Although the development and prevalence of cerebral vasospasm (CV) has been extensively investigated in adults, little data exist on the development of CV in children. The authors hypothesized that even though children have highly vasoreactive arteries, because of a robust cerebral collateral blood flow, they rarely develop symptomatic CV., Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed their university hospital's neurointerventional database for children (that is, patients ≤ 18 years) who were examined or treated for aneurysmal or traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) during the period 1990-2013. Images from digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were analyzed for the extent of CV and collateralization of the cerebral circulation. Results from transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography were correlated with those from DSA. Cerebral vasospasm on TCD ultrasonography was defined according to criteria developed for adults. Clinical outcomes of CV were assessed with the pediatric modified Rankin Scale (mRS)., Results: Among 37 children (21 boys and 16 girls ranging in age from 8 months to 18 years) showing symptoms of an aneurysmal SAH (comprising 32 aneurysms and 5 traumatic pseudoaneurysms), 17 (46%) had CV confirmed by DSA; CV was mild in 21% of these children, moderate in 50%, and severe in 29%. Only 3 children exhibited symptomatic CV, all of whom had poor collateralization of cerebral vessels. Among the 14 asymptomatic children, 10 (71%) showed some degree of vessel collateralization. Among 16 children for whom TCD data were available that could be correlated with the DSA findings, 13 (81%) had CV according to TCD criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of TCD ultrasonography for diagnosing CV were 95% and 59%, respectively. The time to CV onset detected by TCD ultrasonography was 5 ± 3 days (range 2-10 days). Twenty-five (68%) of the children had good long-term outcomes (that is, had mRS scores of 0-2)., Conclusions: Children have a relatively high incidence of angiographically detectable, moderate-to-severe CV. Children rarely develop symptomatic CV and have good long-term outcomes, perhaps due to robust cerebral collateral blood flow. Criteria developed for detecting CV with TCD ultrasonography in adults overestimate the prevalence of CV in children. Larger studies are needed to define TCD ultrasonography-based CV criteria for children.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare simple visual grading of perfusion CT (PCT) maps to a more quantitative, threshold-based interpretation of PCT parameters in the characterization of presence and severity of vasospasm., Methods: Thirty-three patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage were enrolled in a prospective study and underwent a total of 40 paired PCT and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examinations. A neuroradiologist and a neurologist reviewed the PCT mean transit time (MTT), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebral blood volume maps independently; they evaluated five anatomical regions (frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital/thalami, and basal ganglia/insula) and graded them for abnormality (0 if normal, 1 if abnormal in <50% of the region, and 2 if abnormal in >or=50% of the region). A third neuroradiologist blinded to the PCT results reviewed the DSA examinations and assessed 19 segments for the presence or absence of vasospasm. Correlation between PCT and DSA scores was assessed, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of PCT compared to DSA used as a gold standard., Results: MTT (R(2) = 0.939) and CBF (R(2) = 0.907) scores correlated best with DSA scores (p < 0.001). MTT scoring had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 86% compared to DSA; CBF scoring had a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 95%. The interobserver agreement between neuroradiologist and neurologist was found to have kappa = 0.789 for MTT and 0.658 for CBF., Conclusion: We propose a user-friendly visual grading system for PCT maps in patients with suspected vasospasm. This visual approach compares favorably to the results of DSA. Sensitive MTT maps should be used for screening, and specific CBF maps for confirmation of vasospasm., ((c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of perfusion CT (PCT) combined with CT angiography (CTA) for the diagnosis and management of vasospasm, by using conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the gold standard., Methods: We retrospectively identified 27 patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage who had undergone CTA/PCT, DSA, and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography within a time interval of 12 hours of one another. The patients' charts were reviewed for treatment of vasospasm. CTA, PCT, TCD, and DSA examinations were independently reviewed and quantified for vasospasm. PCT thresholds, CTA findings, noncontrast CT (NCT) hypodensities, and TCD thresholds were evaluated for accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, as well as for negative (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV) in the prediction of angiographic vasospasm and endovascular treatment, considering DSA as the gold standard., Results: Thirty-five CTA/PCT, TCD, and DSA examinations were performed on these 27 patients. A total of 123 arterial territories in 11 patients demonstrated angiographic vasospasm. Six patients underwent endovascular therapy. CTA qualitative assessment and PCT-derived mean transit time (MTT) with a threshold at 6.4 seconds represented the most accurate (93%) combination for the diagnosis of vasospasm, whereas MTT considered alone represented the most sensitive parameter (NPV, 98.7%). A cortical regional cerebral blood flow value

Background and Purpose: Dynamic perfusion CT (PCT) with deconvolution produces maps of time-to-peak (TTP), mean transit time (MTT), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV), with a computerized automated map of the infarct and penumbra. We determined the accuracy of these maps in patients with suspected acute hemispheric stroke., Methods: Forty-six patients underwent nonenhanced CT and dynamic PCT, with follow-up CT or MR imaging. Two observers reviewed the nonenhanced studies for signs of stroke and read the PCT maps for TTP, MTT, rCBF, and rCBV abnormalities. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and interobserver agreement were compared (Wilcoxon tests). Nonenhanced CT and PCT data were reviewed for stroke extent according to previously reported methods. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the computerized maps in detecting ischemia and its extent were determined., Results: Compared with nonenhanced CT, PCT maps were significantly more accurate in detecting stroke (75.7-86.0% vs. 66.2%; P <.01), MTT maps were significantly more sensitive (77.6% vs. 69.2%; P <.01), and rCBF and rCBV maps were significantly more specific (90.9% and 92.7%, respectively, vs. 65.0%; P <.01). Regarding stroke extent, PCT maps were significantly more sensitive than nonenhanced CT (up to 94.4% vs. 42.9%; P <.01) and had higher interobserver agreement (up to 0.763). For the computerized map, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, respectively, were 68.2%, 92.3%, and 88.1% in detecting ischemia and 72.2%, 91.8%, and 87.9% in showing the extent., Conclusion: Dynamic PCT maps are more accurate than nonenhanced CT in detecting hemispheric strokes. Despite limited spatial coverage, PCT is highly reliable to assess the stroke extent.