Cerebral perfusion studies using Au-195: Investigations into their clinical usefulness and comparisons with the xenon-133 inhalation method

Au-195m cerebral perfusion studies in the diagnosis of blood supply disorders of the brain have only recently leaped into currency. Au-195m is not capable of diffusing. This particular property permits first-pass times of vascular transfer to be determined for cerebral tissues that correlate with the degree of cerebral circulation. In the study described here, attempts were made to shed more light on the clinical usefulness of the method. For this purpose, the record sheets of two cohorts of patients were analysed on a retrospective basis. 1. In 23 patients, where the cerebrovascular disorders were strictly confined to the cerebral hemispheres, the blood supply of the brain was examined on the basis of both Au-195m cerebral perfusion studies and the xenon-133 inhalation method. In the evaluation of the findings based on the Au-195m study the investigator was blinded to the neurological manifestations of the disease and the results from other studies. In 82% of the patients the perfusion mapping using Au-195m was consistent with the clinical symptoms. 2. In a second group of patients, the probable results of the Au-195m perfusion study were forecasted on the basis of the medical history, clinical symptoms and preliminary diagnosis and subsequently compared to those actually obtained. Expected and actual results were found to be in agreement for 88% of cases. The results provided evidence of the suitability of Au-195m cerebral perfusion studies to examine the blood suply of the brain. In view of the fact that the examinations and measurements are relatively uncomplicated, this newly developed method is most likely to be used on a broader basis in the future. (orig./MG)