Morphological and perfusion predictors of distant cerebral disorders in cardiac surgery patients

Aim. To assess the preoperative morphological state of the brain and the state of cerebral circulation in patients referred for coronary bypass surgery to identify predictors of long-term cerebral disorders.Material and Methods. The study included 33 male patients, divided into 2 groups according to the presence or the absence of distant neurological complications 5 years after surgery. All patients underwent non-contrast computed tomography of the brain and perfusion computed tomography. Computed tomography was repeated 5 years after surgery.Results. The perfusion indices in all measurement zones in patients of the two groups did not significantly differ. Significant differences in width of the third ventricle and ventricular-cranial index between patients of groups 1 and 2 were not identified. The incidence rates of leukoaraiosis significantly differed: leukoaraiosis was detected significantly more frequently in group 2 (78% of cases) than in patients of group 1 (31%), p=0.0455.Discussion. The dimensions of the brain cavity system and the preoperative state of the microcirculatory blood flow were not predictors of long-term postoperative neurological disorders. Five years after surgery, patients of group 2 showed clinical and morphological signs of past ischemic changes, which were not detected in patients of group 1 suggesting that leukoaraiosis was an unfavorable prognostic indicator of postoperative cerebrovascular disorders in the long-term period.Conclusion. When referring a patient with the presence of morphological manifestations of cerebral microangiopathy in the form of the leukoaraiosis phenomenon for cardiac surgery, these patients should be considered at risk requiring administration of the necessary set of measures for the prevention of long-term cerebral disorders.