Computer Tomography in Cerebral Death

Abstract
Computer tomography has been applied in a material of six patients meeting the criteria for cerebral death. The primary intracranial pathology, haemorrhages, infarction and contusions were demonstrable. No generalized reduction of the attenuation characteristic of infarction was found in spite of angiographic arrest of the intracranial circulation. Compression and obstruction of small brain vessels may in some cases be the primary cause of arrest of the brain circulation in cerebral death and not an increase of the intracranial pressure to levels approaching or surpassing the mean systemic arterial pressure.