PERFUSION MRI IN CEREBRAL INFARCTION

Purpose: To investigate the hemodynamic changes in patients with acute cerebral stroke by perfusion MRI. Materials and methods: In 12 patien ts with acute stroke in the territory of the middle cerebral artery, p erfusion MRI was performed. Peak time, mean transit time, regional cer ebral blood volume and regional cerebral blood flow were calculated in the infarction, the peri-infarction area and the contralateral hemisp here. Results: in the infarction the mean blood flow was 29 ml/100 g/m in, compared to about 40 ml/100 g/min in the peri-infarction area and the contralateral hemisphere. In two patients increased cortical blood flow was found in the infarction due to luxury perfusion. The cerebra l blood volume was reduced in the infarction, but significantly increa sed, to 7.3 ml/100 g, in the peri-infarction tissue. Conclusion: Perfu sion MRI allows one to differentiate Various patterns of perfusion dis orders in patients with acute cerebral stroke. The resulting data may be helpful in describing the pathophysiologic mechanisms of compensati on.