Superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery anastomosis

Abstract
✓ Fluorescein angiography and xenon-133 (133Xe) clearance studies were performed during surgery on 15 patients who were undergoing superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis. Fourteen patients had occlusive disease of the internal carotid artery (ICA), and one patient had severe stenosis of the MCA. Before anastomosis, fluorescein angiography showed slow filling of the MCA branches through collateral channels. Focal areas of impaired microcirculatory filling and washout were seen in the territory of severely sclerotic cortical arteries. The findings of preanastomotic 133Xe clearance studies were variable and a uniform pattern of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes was not defined. In 55% of the patients, rCBF was reduced to 25 ml/100 gm/min or less at one or more detector sites. Fluorescein angiography provided an immediate assessment of anastomotic patency and clearly displayed the distribution of blood entering the epicerebral circulation through the STA. In 67...