PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - K.M. Kang
AU  - T.J. Yun
AU  - B.-W. Yoon
AU  - B.S. Jeon
AU  - S.H. Choi
AU  - J.-h. Kim
AU  - J.E. Kim
AU  - C.-H. Sohn
AU  - M.H. Han
TI  - Clinical Utility of Arterial Spin-Labeling as a Confirmatory Test for Suspected Brain Death
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A4209
DP  - 2015 Jan 08
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2015/01/08/ajnr.A4209.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2015/01/08/ajnr.A4209.full
AB  - SUMMARY: Diagnosis of brain death is made on the basis of 3 essential findings: coma, absence of brain stem reflexes, and apnea. Although confirmatory tests are not mandatory in most situations, additional testing may be necessary to declare brain death in patients in whom results of specific components of clinical testing cannot be reliably evaluated. Recently, arterial spin-labeling has been incorporated as part of MR imaging to evaluate cerebral perfusion. Advantages of arterial spin-labeling include being completely noninvasive and providing information about absolute CBF. We retrospectively reviewed arterial spin-labeling findings according to the following modified criteria based on previously established confirmatory tests to determine brain death: 1) extremely decreased perfusion in the whole brain, 2) bright vessel signal intensity around the entry of the carotid artery to the skull, 3) patent external carotid circulation, and 4) “hollow skull sign” in a series of 5 patients. Arterial spin-labeling findings satisfied the criteria for brain death in all patients. Arterial spin-labeling imaging has the potential to be a completely noninvasive confirmatory test to provide additional information to assist in the diagnosis of brain death. Abbreviation ASLarterial spin-labeling