Correlation of SPECT with Angiography in Early Ischemic Stroke

The hyperacute thrombolytic therapy for selected patients with embolic stroke may actually provide benefit rather than risk [1–9]. The patient selection in thrombolytic stroke therapy might depend on early diagnosis of severity of cerebral ischemia or reversibility in ischemic brain tissue. It has been known that not only the time from the onset of stroke but also the residual cerebral blood flow (CBF) appear to be crucial for survival of marginal hypoperfusion areas [10–12]. A critical level of residual CBF might indicate functional reversibility in ischemic brain tissues and could be restored by early efficient recanalization of the occluded vessels. Cerebral angiographic studies in the early phase of embolic stroke could show prompt development of collateral circulating, reflecting residual CBF, and the degree of reperfusion following thrombolytic therapy in relation to increased CBF. To investigate the role of cerebral angiography in acute embolic stroke, we studied the correlation of CBF using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with angiographic findings in early ischemic stroke within 6 h from the stroke onset.