TURBO SPIN-ECHO DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED MR OF ISCHEMIC STROKE

PURPOSE: Our objective was to determine whether a multisection techniq ue, diffusion-weighted half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (BASTE :) imaging, can compensate for the drawbacks common to other diffusion -weighted techniques; specifically, the need for echo-planar technolog y and the presence of susceptibility artifacts in areas close to the s kull base, METHODS: Forty subjects who were referred to the stroke ser vice with signs of acute (less than 24 hour) neurologic dysfunction we re included in this prospective study, MR imaging of the brain was per formed with diffusion-weighted echo-planar and diffusion-weighted HAST E sequences, The images obtained with both sequences were analyzed for the presence of hyperintensities corresponding to ischemic lesions as well as for the presence of image artifacts and distortions, RESULTS: Diffusion-weighted HASTE images showed areas of hyperintensity corres ponding to the infarcts present on diffusion-weighted echo-planar imag ing studies without distortion or susceptibility artifacts in all the patients who had a stroke, Twelve patients had no acute ischemic lesio ns; of these, five had other findings, six had normal findings, and in one patient, a hyperintensity seen on diffusion-weighted echo-planar images proved to be an artifact on diffusion-weighted HASTE images, CO NCLUSIONS: Diffusion-weighted HASTE is equal to diffusion-weighted ech o-planar imaging in the detection of early ischemia, Because of the ab sence of significant image distortions and other artifacts, diffusion- weighted HASTE permits fast multiplanar imaging in artifact-prone regi ons, such as the posterior fossa and the inferior frontal and temporal lobes, Diffusion imaging can be performed on conventional systems wit h strengths of 1.5 T that do not have echo-planar imaging capabilities .