[Central hemodynamics and cerebrovascular disorders in patients with idiopathic arterial hypotension].

A total of 65 patients (mean age 40.2 +/- 8.1 yr) with neurologic and neuropsychological disorders associated with long-term idiopathic arterial hypotension (IAH) were studied to estimate the state of their central blood circulation. Neuropsychological conditions were estimated from the state of higher psychic functions, such as memory speech, gnosis, praxis, cognition, attention, counting, writing, and reading abilities. Central hemodynamics was studied by 24 hr monitoring arterial pressure and echocardiography. Group 1 included patients without neurologic problems (n = 19), group 2 consisted of patients with early manifestations of chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency (n = 46, 71%). They were older than patients of group 1 and had a long history of IAH. It was shown that most patients presented with stably reduced systolic and diastolic AP and non-dipper type of low 24-hour SAD index. The cardiac index was elevated due to increased left ventricular ejection fraction (group 1) or increased heart rate (group 2). The severity of neuropsychic disorder was negatively related to SAD and DAD indices and positively to systolic hypotension time.

[Cerebral circulation in chronic hypertensive encephalopathy].

Cerebral blood supply was studied in 123 patients with stage III hypertensive encephalopathy (HE) in the absence of occlusion of main head arteries. Duplex scanning was used to measure blood flow rate in common carotid (CCA), vertebral (VA) and medial cerebral (MCA) arteries. Cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by single-photon emission CT using 99mTc- ceretec. Normal and stable blood flow in CCA and VA was documented at all HE stages whereas it decreased in MCA of patients with HE II-III. Cortical CBF in frontal and parietal segments in HE II-II was higher than in HE I (p < 0.05). These findings suggest impaired subcortical perfusion and correlation of the discrepancy between cortical and subcortical blood supply with the severity of HE. Leukoaraosis is an indicator of hypoperfusion.