Intraoperative rCBF in epileptic foci of 5 patients with medically refractory post-traumatic epilepsy using laser doppler blood perfusion monitor.

Regional blood flow in epileptic focus was measured intraoperatively by laser blood perfusion monitor in 5 patients with medically refractory post-traumatic epilepsy. In order to determine the precise localization of epileptic foci, electro-corticogram was recorded using a newly devised multi-electrodes which can be easily fixed to surface the brain cortex only by surface tension of physical saline dripped on the electrodes and the cortical surface. The regional blood flow in the epiletic focus ranged 40 to 58ml/100ml/min, mean value was 52.2ml/100ml/min. that decreasd up to 30% as compared with the mean value of 76.4ml/100ml/min in the normal brain cortex. These amount of blood flow, however, were not related to the epileptic activities on the electocorticogram. Whereas, the blood flow showed 38.8ml/100ml/min in the gliotic area without any spike activity. These findings could support the fact that interictal measurements by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with focal epilepsies demonstrated a regional hypoperfusion in 50-75% of patients.