Hyperacute ischemic stroke: middle cerebral artery susceptibility sign at echo-planar gradient-echo MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of echo-planar T2*-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) sequences in detection of acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) or internal carotid artery (ICA) thrombotic occlusion.


METHODS
Forty-two consecutive patients with stroke involving the MCA territory underwent MR imaging within 6 hours after clinical onset. MR examination included echo-planar T2*-weighted, diffusion-weighted (DW), and perfusion-weighted (PW) imaging and MR angiography. Presence or absence of the susceptibility sign on echo-planar T2*-weighted images, which is indicative of acute thrombotic occlusion involving MCA or ICA, was assessed in consensus by two observers blinded to clinical information and other MR imaging data. Differences in lesion volume on DW and PW images between patients with and those without the susceptibility sign were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney test. P <.05 was considered to indicate a significant difference.


RESULTS
Thirty patients (71%) had a positive susceptibility sign that correlated with MCA or ICA occlusion at MR angiography in all cases (sensitivity, 83%; specificity, 100%). Mean lesion volume on PW images was higher in patients with a positive susceptibility sign (P =.01), but no significant differences were found in mean lesion volume on DW images. Cases in which the susceptibility sign was identified proximal to MCA divisional bifurcation (27 patients) showed a mean perfusion deficit of 83.9% of the total MCA territory (range, 50%-100%).


CONCLUSIONS
Presence of the susceptibility sign proximal to MCA bifurcation provides fast and accurate detection of acute proximal MCA or ICA thrombotic occlusion.
Rovira
Alex
A
Department of Radiology, Magnetic Resonance Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. alex.rovira@idi-cat.org
Orellana
Patricia
P
Alvarez-Sabín
Jose
J
Arenillas
Juan F
JF
Aymerich
Xavier
X
Grivé
Elisenda
E
Molina
Carlos
C
Rovira-Gols
Antoni
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity