Abstract
Between November 1999 and September 2002, 175 patients with acute cerebral infarction were admitted to our Stroke Care Unit. Stroke MRI (Diffusion-, perfusion- and T2-weighted imaging and MR angiography) was performed for these patients, and we used diffusion/perfusion mismatch for indication of cardiovascular reconstruction. Of 175 patients, 44 were diagnosed as atherothrombotic infarction, 70 as cardioembolic infarction and 57 as lacunar infarction. In 19 patients (27.1%) of cardioembolic infarction and 17 (38.6%) of atherothrombotic infarction, cerebrovascular reconstructions were performed. Although outcome after treatment was good in only 3 of these 19 patients (15.8%) with cardioembolism, outcome was good in 13 of 17 (76.5%) with atherothrombotic infarction.
Outcomes of patients with cardioembolic internal carotid occlusion were very poor even if stroke MRI indicated acute thrombolysis, because almost all thrombolysis were failed. In conclusion, stroke MRI accurately diagnosed acute cerebral infarction, and acute and subacute cerebrovascular reconstruction induced good outcome in patients with atherothrombotic infarction.
