Studies of cerebral circulation time in man: 1 Normal values and alterations with cerebral vascular disease and tumour in arm-to-retina circulation times

Abstract

The arm-to-retina fluorescein circulation time was determined in 78 subjects. Cerebral arteriog-raphy was performed in 51 of the 53 experimental cases a few hours after the circulation times were measured. The mean circulation time in the control groups was 10.3 seconds. Prolonged circulation times or differences of the two sides of the body were obtained in 33 of the experimental cases while normal times were found in the remaining 20. Abnormal circulation times were found primarily in cases of diffuse cerebral arteriosclerosis, carotid artery occlusion and carotid artery stenosis whereas normal times were found in patients with idiopathic epilepsy, in two cases of brain tumor and in two cases of meningocerebral hemorrhage. Arm-to-retina circulation time can become prolonged if the cardiac output is diminished, if blood viscosity is increased, if systemic peripheral vascular resistance is decreased, if cerebral vascular resistance is altered or if the carotid or retinal arterial flow is obstructed. Actually this test has wide application in the diagnosis of disease of both proximal and distal cerebral vessels and for demonstrating delayed effective cerebral circulation from many Systemic causes.