Extracranial-intracranial bypass in cerebral ischemia.

While the utility of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass versus medical therapy for typical stroke indications was cast in doubt in the mid-1980s, EC-IC bypass has continued to be useful for maintaining cerebral circulation in specific cases. A case report demonstrates the utility of EC-IC bypass using PET and SPECT scanning technologies to assess cerebral hemodynamics. While further studies will better define the patient population, there is a subset of stroke patients that benefit from cerebral revascularization.