title: [MR diffusion-weighted imaging of cerebral infarction].
abstract: MR diffusion-weighted imaging was performed to investigate changes in water diffusion in patients with cerebral infarction, and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were compared with T2-weighted images (T2WI). Acute and subacute infarcts were seen as areas of high intensity on DWI and showed lower apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), while chronic infarcts showed a relative increase in ADCs. The relative ADC increased progressively over time, becoming renormalized at 3 to 4 weeks, and was elevated in the chronic state. On DWI, infarcts as small as 5 to 6 mm in diameter and lesions adjacent to the ventricular or subarachnoid space could be readily identified. DWI was useful for distinguishing acute lesions from chronic lesions in patients with multiple cerebral infarction, and provided valuable pathophysiologic information on the course of ischemic stroke evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hanyu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shindou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugiki
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kakizaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged