MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD-FLOW IN THE SUPERIOR SAGITTAL SINUS IN HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS, AND IN PATIENTS WITH NORMAL-PRESSURE HYDROCEPHALUS AND IDIOPATHIC INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION WITH PHASE-CONTRAST CINE MR-IMAGING

Purpose: To measure blood flow and velocity in the superior sagittal s inus. Material and Methods: MR velocity mapping was used to examine 14 healthy volunteers, 15 patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (N PH), 3 patients with high pressure hydrocephalus (HPH), and 11 patient s with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Results: Mean blood flow was 443 ml/min in healthy volunteers with a tendency towards red uced blood flow with increasing age. In NPH patients significantly low er superior sagittal sinus blood flow values were found, but this diff erence was no longer significant when patients and controls were match ed for age. In HPH and IIH patients blood flow and velocity were withi n the normal range. In one patient with thrombosis of the superior sag ittal sinus the blood flow was reduced to 40 ml/min. Conclusion: MR ve locity mapping methods may be of value in the assessment of blood flow in the dural sinuses in various pathologies resulting in dural sinus occlusion, such as dural sinus thrombosis, and for following the progr ess of these patients while undergoing treatment.