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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
08:14
Modeling Stroke in Mice: Permanent Coagulation of the Distal Middle Cerebral Artery
Published on: July 31, 2014
[Intracerebral hematoma associated with reduced apparent diffusion coefficient mimicking acute stroke]
B Randoux1, B Marro, D Dormont
1Service de Neuroradiologie, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris. bruno.randoux@caramail.com
Journal of Neuroradiology = Journal De Neuroradiologie
|March 8, 2003
Summary
Acute stroke imaging can be challenging. Restricted diffusion on MRI may indicate ischemia, but careful interpretation with susceptibility-sensitive sequences is crucial to rule out underlying hematoma.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Acute ischemic stroke diagnosis relies heavily on neuroimaging.
- Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is sensitive to early ischemic changes.
Observation:
- A 67-year-old patient presented with acute hemiplegia.
- MRI revealed a basal ganglia lesion with restricted apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), suggestive of acute ischemia.
- However, susceptibility artifacts on echo planar T2W images raised suspicion for hematoma, later confirmed by CT.
Findings:
- Restricted ADC values in acute stroke can be mimicked by hematoma.
- Magnetic susceptibility artifacts on specific MRI sequences (T2*W, T2W) are key indicators for differentiating ischemia from hemorrhage.
- Correlation of DWI findings with CT is essential for accurate diagnosis.
Implications:
- Accurate differentiation between ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage is critical for timely and appropriate treatment.
- Clinicians should consider hematoma in the differential diagnosis of basal ganglia lesions with restricted diffusion, especially when susceptibility artifacts are present.
- Integrating multiple imaging sequences and modalities improves diagnostic accuracy in acute neurological events.
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