Imaging of acute cerebral ischemia

Until recently, there was no efficacious treatment for acute cerebral ische mia. As a result, the role of neuroimaging and the radiologist was peripher al in the diagnosis and management of this disease. The demonstration of ef ficacy using thrombolysis has redefined this role, with the success of inte rvention becoming increasingly dependent on timely imaging and accurate int erpretation. The potential benefits of intervention have only begun to be r ealized. In this State-of-the-Art review of imaging of acute stroke, the ro le of imaging in the current and future management of stroke is presented. The role of computed tomography is emphasized in that it is currently the m ost utilized technique, and its value has been demonstrated in prospective clinical trials. Magnetic resonance techniques are equally emphasized in th at they have the potential to provide a single modality evaluation of tissu e viability and vessel patency in an increasingly rapid evaluation.