title: Predictive value of clinical lacunar syndromes for lacunar infarcts on magnetic resonance brain imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We prospectively investigated the predictive value of clinical and CT-supported lacunar syndromes for lacunar infarcts on magnetic resonance (MR) brain imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 54 prospective, consecutive patients had clinical lacunar syndromes of acute onset and early computed tomography (CT; on admission day, i.e. < or =48 h after onset of symptoms) showing either a small deep infarct or no corresponding lesion. Taking MR (at day 2 to 4 after admission) as the gold standard, the positive predictive value of the CT-supported clinical syndrome for corresponding lacunar lesions was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 27 (50%) patients, early CT showed a lacunar infarct corresponding to the clinical syndrome, a further 27 (50%) patients had no fresh ischemic lesion. In 51 patients (94%), MR showed a recent lacunar infarct (hyperintense lacune in T2-weighted scans, no demarcation on T1-weighted scans and/or positive gadolinium-enhancement) corresponding to the clinical syndrome (positive predictive value 0.94, 95%, CI: 0.88 to 0.98). In 3 (6%) patients MR was normal. Aside from old unrelated ischemic (macro- and/or microangiopathic) lesions, MR revealed no acute non-lacunar infarct. CT and MR sites of lacunar lesions were matching. Compared to gold standard MR, the sensitivity of early CT for suspected lacunar lesions was 0.53 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lacunar syndromes were highly predictive for small deep infarcts on MR. Magnetic resonance brain imaging may be redundant in the setting of a lacunar syndrome supported by a CT that excludes non-ischemic causes of stroke; it may therefore be abandoned in order to reduce costs in the health care system.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Unit/Neurologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stapf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hofmeister
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mast
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed