title: CT perfusion in acute stroke: know the mimics, potential pitfalls, artifacts, and technical errors.
abstract: The CT perfusion (CTP) imaging of brain has been established as a clinically useful tool in multimodality imaging of acute stroke. All abnormalities seen on perfusion CT are not specifically related to acute infarct. There are many neurologic diseases causing symptoms simulating cerebrovascular disease produce an alteration of brain perfusion and thus can result in perfusion CT abnormalities. There are many pitfalls and artifacts in acquiring the data, calculation of maps and choosing arterial input function. We analyze and classify all these aspects, to allow the technician and the radiologist to know exactly what to avoid and what to choose, and we indicate the way to improve the quality of examination. The knowledge of mimics and pitfalls in acute stroke imaging can be helpful in accurate interpretation of these examinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 648, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA, rajiv_mangla@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mangla
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekhom
authors.forename: Babak S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Jahromi
authors.forename: Jeevak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almast
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mangla
authors.forename: Per-Lennart
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Westesson
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*