American Journal of Neuroradiology 26:208-215, February 2005
© 2005 American Society of Neuroradiology
BRAIN
High-b-Value Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging of Hyperacute Ischemic Stroke at 1.5T
a From the Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, 388-1 Poongnap Dong, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 138-736, Korea
Address of correspondence to Choong Gon Choi, MD, Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Poongnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea, E-mail: cgchoi{at}amc.seoul.kr
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging at b = 2000 s/mm2 offers theoretical advantages over DW imaging at b = 1000 s/mm2 for detection of hyperacute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine whether b = 2000 images are better than b = 1000 images for detecting and estimating the extent of diffusion change within 6 hours after stroke onset.
METHODS: We compared DW images obtained with a b value of 1000 s/mm2 (TR/TE/NEX, 7500/71/1) with those obtained with a b value of 2000 s/mm2 (TR/TE/NEX, 7500/83/2) in 94 patients examined within 6 hours of clinically suspicious hyperacute ischemic stroke (57 men, 37 women; mean age ± SD, 62 years ± 8; age range, 47–80 years; mean time interval ± SD, 206 ± 90 min). Three observers performed qualitative analysis of DW images and reached a consensus about lesion conspicuity, lesion extent, and image artifact. In the quantitative analysis of 34 patients with lesions in the territory of the middle cerebral artery, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and volume of ischemic lesion were measured and findings of the b = 1000 and b = 2000 images were compared.
RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of b = 1000 and b = 2000 images were calculated as 94% (80/85)/ 100% (9/9) and 98% (83/85)/ 100% (9/9), respectively, relative to the presence or absence of infarction on the follow-up T2-weighted images. In three patients, hyperintense lesions were depicted only on b = 2000 images. On qualitative analysis, lesions were more conspicuous and larger on b = 2000 images in 23 and 11 patients, respectively. On quantitative analysis, as the b value increased, the mean lesion volume increased by 47% (22.1 ± 27.9 mL at b = 1000 s/mm2 versus 32.5 ± 36.5 mL at b = 2000 s/mm2, P < .001, n = 34). As the b value increased, mean SNR decreased both in the lesion and in the contralateral normal area by 17% and 28%, respectively, but the mean CNR increased by 23% (8.7 ± 6.4 at b = 1000 s/mm2 versus 10.7 ± 6.5 at b = 2000 s/mm2, P < .001, n = 34).
CONCLUSION: DW images acquired with a b value of 2000 s/mm2 were better than DW images acquired with a b value of 1000 s/mm2 for the detection and estimation of the extent of diffusion change in patients examined within 6 hours of ischemic stroke onset.
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