Red cerebral veins and the cerebral steal syndrome

Abstract

✓ The circulation through an arteriovenous malformation and the microcirculation of the surrounding brain were examined during craniotomy by fluorescein angiography and by microregional blood flow measurements using xenon133 and Neohydrin-Hg197. The evidence indicates that occluding the arterial supply to the angioma obliterated the cerebral steal by reducing the shunt or non-nutritional flow and improving the perfusion flow through the cortical microcirculation. The features characterizing the cerebral steal syndrome are described.