Computed tomographic angiography for diagnosis of brain death.

The authors report two patients with suspected brain death who required confirmatory tests other than clinical examination because of prolonged barbiturate administration for intracranial hypertension. Absence of intracranial blood flow was documented on CT angiography and confirmed by CT perfusion images. Cerebral angiography confirmed the findings consistent with brain death. CT angiography with CT perfusion may represent a rapid noninvasive method for diagnosis of brain death.