Does cerebral oximetry always measure brain tissue oxygen saturation? An anatomical study utilizing computed tomography

Background and Aims: to quantify the scalp-cortex distance and determine its variation among patients. We hypothesized that in a significant number of patients, this distance is greater than the maximum penetration depth of current cerebral oximeters. Material and Methods: A retrospective anatomic s...

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Main Authors: Rotem Naftalovich (Author), Darrick Chyu (Author), John T Denny (Author), Aysha Hasan (Author), Enrique J Pantin (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:Background and Aims: to quantify the scalp-cortex distance and determine its variation among patients. We hypothesized that in a significant number of patients, this distance is greater than the maximum penetration depth of current cerebral oximeters. Material and Methods: A retrospective anatomic study using transverse head CT images selected randomly from 102 patients over the age of 18 years without brain swelling, intracranial mass effect, or brain hemorrhage. Scalp-cortex distances were determined at two separate locations along the craniocaudal axis; most cephalad to the frontal sinus (I0) and also 2 cm cephalad to that location (I2). Multiple measurements were obtained bilaterally at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 cm from midline. Results: The average scalp-cortex distance was 14.3 mm and 15 mm at I0 and I2 respectively. Distances varied more in I2 than in I0; from the measurements, 12.8% vs. 6.8% were over 20 mm, 4.4% vs. 2.2% over 25 mm, 1.1% vs. 0.6% over 35 mm and 0.6% vs. none over 40 mm at I2 and I0, respectively. 1.5% of the measurements at I2 were over 30 mm. Conclusion: Cerebral oximetry manufacturers all claim to measure cerebral tissue up to a depth of 20-25 mm; 20 mm with the EQUANOX and INVOS compared with 25 mm with the FORE-SIGHT. Scalp-cortex distance is within 25 mm in more than 95% of patients. However, even with the probe placed as per the manufacturer's recommendations, in a small but significant subset of patients, this distance is greater than the maximum penetration depth of current cerebral oximeters and hence may not reflect actual brain tissue oxygen saturation.
Item Description:0970-9185
10.4103/joacp.JOACP_395_19