MR imaging of ischemic penumbra.
Cerebral ischemic stroke is one of the most fatal diseases despite current advances in medical science. Recent demonstration of efficacy using intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis demands therapeutic intervention tailored to the physiologic state of the individual tissue and stratification of patients according to the potential risks for therapies. In such an era, the role of the neuroimaging becomes increasingly important to evaluate the extent and location of tissues at risk of infarction (ischemic penumbra), to distinguish it from unsalvageable infarcted tissues or doomed hemorrhagic parenchyma. In this review, we present briefly the current role and limitation of computed tomography and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We also present the possible applications of advanced MR techniques, such as diffusion and perfusion imaging, concentrating on the delineation or detection of ischemic penumbra.
Abe
Osamu
O
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. abediag-tky@umin.ac.jp
Aoki
Shigeki
S
Shirouzu
Ichiro
I
Kunimatsu
Akira
A
Hayashi
Naoto
N
Masumoto
Tomohiko
T
Mori
Harushi
H
Yamada
Haruyasu
H
Watanabe
Makoto
M
Masutani
Yoshitaka
Y
Ohtomo
Kuni
K
D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010477:Perfusion; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*