MRI of small human stroke shows reversible diffusion changes in subcortical gray matter

Six patients who had suffered small cerebral ischemia affecting subcortical gray matter were examined with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and T2-wei ghted imaging within the first 8 h, during the next 2 days and after 5-16 d ays. Areas of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) decreases were observed acutely and reached the maximum size during the subsequent 2 days. Noticeab ly, in all subjects, a large portion of the ADC lesion was reversible as ju dged from the lesion size on final T2 image. The regular reversibility of t he ADC decreases in this setting may indicate a hitherto not understood pat hophysiological process occurring in small ischemic stroke; NeuroReport 11: 2021-2024 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.