Abstract
We studied diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 14 patients with unilateral intracranial steno-occlusive arterial lesion to evaluate the relationship between the apparent diffusion of coefficient (ADC) of water and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the acute stage of human cerebral infarction. In all patients DWI and SPECT measurements were performed within 6 hours after onset of stroke, and relative ADC (rADC) and relative CBF (rCBF) of the infarct and peri-infarct areas were calculated with referring to the follow-up computed tomography (CT) obtained more than 24 hours after onset. The rADC significantly correlated with rCBF (P<0.01). In the area with moderate and severe hypoperfusion, rADC of the infarct areas significantly decreased compared with unity (p<0.01). Standard deviation of the infarct area was greater than that of the periinfarct area, and 2 lesions with normal rADC and moderate hypoperfusion later evolved into complete infarction. The present results demonstrate that the ADC reduction of the ischemic area correlates with the severity of hypoperfusion within 6 hours after stroke onset. Normal ADC, however, is not a token of escaping form cerbral infarction when moderate hypoperfusion is associated.
