MRI ASSESSMENT OF CEREBRAL BLOOD-VOLUME IN PATIENTS WITH BRAIN INFARCTS

MRI perfusion studies have focussed mainly on acute ischaemia and char acterisation in ischaemia. Our purpose was to analyse regional brain h aemodynamic information in acute, subacute, and chronic ischaemia. We performed 16 examinations of 11 patients on a 1.5 T MR images. Convent ional and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging were employed in all exami nations. For the dynamic susceptibility sequences, a bolus (0.2 mmol/k g) of gadopentetate dimeglumine was injected. Reconstructed regional r elative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps, bolus maps, and conventiona l images were analysed by consensus reading. In all examinations decre ases in rCBV were observed in the lesions. The distribution of regiona l rCBV in lesions was heterogeneous. The rCBV of the periphery of the lesions was higher than that at their center. There was a correlation between the time since onset and abnormalities on the rCBV map and T2- weighted images (T2WI). In the early stage of acute stroke, the abnorm alities tended to be larger on the rCBV than on T2WI. Many patterns of bolus passage were observed in ischaemic regions, rCBV maps provide a dditional haemodynamic information in patients with brain infarcts.