Increase in [18F]-Fluoroacetate Uptake in Patients With Chronic Hemodynamic Cerebral Ischemia

Background and Purpose—[18F]-fluoroacetate (18F-FACE) can be used for evaluating glial cell metabolism. Experimental studies have shown an increase in 18F-FACE uptake in rodent models of cerebral ischemia. The aim of this study was to determine whether 18F-FACE uptake is increased in the noninfarcted cerebral cortex in patients with hemodynamic ischemia owing to atherosclerotic internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery disease. Methods—We evaluated 9 symptomatic patients with unilateral atherosclerotic internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery disease and no cortical infarction using positron emission tomography with 18F-FACE and 15O-gases. 18F-FACE uptake during 40 to 60 minutes after injection was compared with the cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, oxygen extraction fraction, and cerebral blood volume in the middle cerebral artery distributions. Results—Significant decreases of cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen and increases of oxygen extract...