Echoplanar MRI in patients with an acute stroke syndrome

An increasing number of patients with an acute stroke syndrome are being ad mitted to hospitals with on-site echoplanar MRI scanners. In this pictorial review, we describe our experience of an MRI protocol in the first 150 suc h patients scanned in our hospital. We illustrate some of the advantages of using echoplanar MRI. Diffusion and susceptibility weighted acquisitions m ay supplement conventional MR sequences by providing useful additional info rmation about the age and location of the lesion, together with a high sens itivity to the presence of blood breakdown products.