Keywords:
Neuroradiology brain, CT
Authors:
I. Georgiou1, E. Tsokou2, A. ZOURLA2, S. Papakostas2, P. STAVRAKAS2, M. TSALIKIS2, A. N. Chalazonitis2; 1 ATHENS/GR, 2Athens/GR
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2011/C-1158
Purpose
The goals of imaging in a patient with acute strokes are to exclude hemorrhage, differentiate between irreversibly affected brain tissue and reversibly impaired tissue and identify stenosis or occlusion of major extra and intracranial arteries.
In this way we can select patients who are candidates for thrombolytic therapy. Assessment of
early infarction signs is now included in some guidelines and approval documents for thrombolysis. Thrombolysis is not widely implemented for treatment of acute ischemic stroke and uncertainty about the interpretation of early infarction signs on CT scans may be slowing its implementation.
Magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging and perfusion imaging may help to identify patients for thrombolysis,
but there is still a need to determine how best to use CT,
as CT is likely to remain the primary modality for assessment of stroke because of its wide availability,
easy of use,
and speed.
On purpose is evaluate the role of CT in demonstrating early signs of acute cerebral ischemia,
shown to help differentiate between irreversibly affected brain tissue (dead tissue) and reversibly impaired tissue (tissue at risk).