Background: The regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to propofol and indomethacin may be abnormal in patients with brain tumors. First, the authors tested the hypothesis that during propofol anesthesia alone and combined with indomethacin, changes in CBF, cerebral blood volume (CBV), and plasma mean transit time (MTT) differ in the peritumoral tissue compared with the contralateral normal brain region. Second, the authors tested the hypothesis that CBF and CBV are reduced and MTT is prolonged, in both regions during propofol anesthesia and indomethacin administration compared with propofol alone.
Methods: The authors studied eight patients subjected to craniotomy under propofol-fentanyl anesthesia for supratentorial brain tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging, including perfusion- and diffusion-weighted and structural sequences, was performed (1) on the day before surgery, (2) before and (3) after administration of indomethacin in the propofol-fentanyl anesthetized patient, and (4) 2 days after surgery. Maps of CBF, CBV, and MTT were calculated. The regions of interest were peritumoral gray matter and opposite contralateral gray matter. Analysis of variance was used to analyze flow data.
Results: Propofol anesthesia was associated with a median 32% (range, 3-61%) and 47% (range, 17-67%) reduction in CBF in the peritumoral and contralateral regions, respectively.The interaction between intervention with propofol and indomethacin and region of interest was not significant for any flow modalities. Neither intervention nor region was significant for MTT, CBF, and CBV (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The CBF, CBV, and MTT responses to propofol and indomethacin are not different in the peritumoral region compared with contralateral brain tissue. Indomethacin did not further influence regional CBF, CBV, and MTT during propofol anesthesia.