The effect of hypotension and hypotensive technique on cerebral ischaemia and the dimension of the ischaemic penumbra

Temporary cerebral vascular occlusion may occur either electively or in urgent circumstances during intracranial vascular procedures. On occasion, induced hypotension is employed simultaneously. It is accepted that the combination should result in a larger area of ischaemia. However, the phenomenon has not been examined systematically nor has the influence of the specific hypotensive techniques been evaluated. The present study examined the extent of ischaemia and the dimension of the ischaemic penumbra following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) during normotension and during three hypotensive regimens.