Brain Scanning in Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease

Abstract

A PREVIOUS report from this institution indicated that brain scanning with radioactive chlormerodrin mercury may have diagnostic usefulness in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease.¹ In a small series it was found that patients with a completed stroke frequently had areas of abnormal uptake on scan and that transient ischemic episodes were associated with a normal scan. Ojemann et al² reported similar findings with the position-emitting radioisotopes. Since our initial report many more scans have been added to those on which that report was based, permitting a more complete evaluation of results in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Special emphasis will be placed on (1) clinical characteristics of patients with abnormal scans, (2) characteristics of abnormal scans associated with cerebral infarction, (3) results of scans done subsequent to the original positive scan, and (4) selection of optimal interval between administration of chlormerodrin Hg 197 and scanning for areas of cerebral infarction.