The Effect of Intra-arterial Papaverine on the Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Stroke or Intracranial Tumor

The effect of intracarotid injection of 10 mg of papaverine on regional cerebral blood flow was measured in 21 patients. Most of the patients had cerebral infarction or intracranial neoplasm. The intra-arterial (133)Xenon injection method was used and 16 or 35 regions of the diseased hemisphere were monitored. In patients without focal flow abnormalities an average flow increase of 93% followed the injection. In patients with focal abnormalities of cerebral blood flow the intra-arterial injection of papaverine produced a decrease in focal flow or less increase in flow than normal. It is concluded that vasodilator therapy presumably decreased flow in pathological tissue and that such treatment should not be employed in the therapy of cerebrovascular disease.