Cerebral blood flow imaging in arteriovenous malformation complicated by normal perfusion pressure breakthrough

BACKGROUND A patient with normal perfusion pressure breakthrough (NPPB) after surgical removal of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) was evaluated using single photon emission computed tomography cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging. CASE DESCRIPTION A 48-year-old man suffered consciousness disturbance because of an intraventricular hemorrhage and underwent ventricular drainage. Cerebral angiography showed a medium-sized AVM in the left parietal lobe. Three months after the ictus, a left parietal craniotomy was performed and total removal of the AVM was achieved. A brain region adjacent to the AVM with preoperative decreased vasoreactivity to acetazolamide showed marked hyperperfusion after AVM excision. Hemorrhage subsequently occurred in this area. CONCLUSION CBF mapping seems to offer a noninvasive method for the preoperative identification of AVM patients at risk for NPPB, and to allow for early postoperative diagnosis of NPPB.