GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN PATIENTS WITH PRESUMED LACUNAR INFARCTS

To determine the clinical usefulness of gadolinium-DPTA-enhanced MRI i n identifying recent small, deep infarcts we prospectively studied 91 patients with first-ever stroke and presenting with a lacunar syndrome . In 78 patients (85.7%), plain MRI revealed possibly appropriate infa rcts, classified as deep (n = 69), internal borderzone (n = 1), and co rtical (n = 8 patients). Enhancement was seen in 38 (80.9%) of 47 pati ents with only one possibly relevant deep lesion on plain MRI, and in 14 (63.6%) out of 22 patients with multiple lesions. MRI with gadolini um-DPTA facilitates identification of the relevant lesion in patients with presumed lacunar infarcts.