Cerebrovascular hemodynamics study in patients with chronic progressive occlusion of middle cerebral artery stem

[Objective] To explore the cerebrovascular hemodynamics changes in patients with chronic progressive occlusion of middle cerebral artery stem. [Methods] Seventy-five patients with middle cerebral artery stem occlusion determined by digital subtraction or MR angiography were selected to serve as patient group and eighty patients without disease of middle cerebral artery stem were selected as controls. All patients were measured by transcranial doppler(TCD). [Results] The blood flow velocity of occlusion side MCA sample depth remarkably reduced [mean flow velocity (23±5)cm/s] in 60 patients (80%). TCD showed blood flow velocity compensative acceleration of the occlusion side anterior cerebral artery in 70 patients (93%). The blood velocity ratios of anterior cerebral artery for the patient group (1.49±0.23) was significantly higher than ratios for controls (1.03±0.11). There was a significant difference between the two groups (P 0.01). Forty-five patients (60%) showed blood flow velocity compensative acceleration of the occlusion side posterior cerebral artery. The blood flow appearance of other collateral circulation pathway was not found in the patient group. [Conclusions] TCD might further help to know the cerebrovascular hemodynamics changes in patients with chronic progressive occlusion of middle cerebral artery stem. It was suggested that TCD might be important and objective index in evaluating the patient′s condition and prognosis, in understanding the compensative state of collateral circulation, in studing deeply the pathologic mechanism of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.