Acetazolamide stimulation test in patients with unilateral internal carotid artery stenosis using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT and transcranial doppler sonography

We compared perfusion reserve by acetazolamide (ACZ) challenged brain perfusion SPECT and cerebral vasoreactivity (CVR) by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) in patients with unilateral internal carotid artery stenosis. This study was conducted prospectively in 37 consecutive patients with angiographically proven unilateral internal carotid artery stenosis (stenosis> 50%). We estimated % CVR (100? {post-ACZ mean velocity (cm/sec) - Pre-ACZ mean velocity (cm/sec)} / pre-ACZ mean velocity) by TCD. The % CVR was compared with perfusion reserve of SPECT. The % CVR of MCA and ICA was significantly decreased in the ipsilateral side to the carotid stenosis (p<0.05). The CVR impairment was more severe when cerebral infarct is already developed (p<0.01). There was a significant correlation between the degree of carotid stenosis and the CVR (p<0.01). In the area of impaired perfusion reserve on the SPECT, the estimated CVR by TCD was significantly lower (p<0.05), even to the negative value, implying that there is actually steal phenomenon in that area. ACZ challenge can actually decrease cerebral blood flow in the area of impaired perfusion reserve on brain SPECT. So we should be very cautiously performing in ACZ challenge especially when there is a severe carotid stenosis because there is a possibility of developing hemodynamic stroke