Dense middle cerebral artery sign: a pictorial study

The hyperdense middle cerebral artery on computed tomography (CT), although a useful sign of middle cerebral artery occlusion, does not presage the events to follow. Because of the wide availability of CT it is useful to illustrate the radiological spectrum of findings following middle cerebral artery occlusion. This is pictorial study of four prototypic patients with hyperdense middle cerebral artery which was the common denominator. There was a marked heterogeniety among the patients in relation to the character of the vascular disturbances, location, extent of ischaemic changes and the final outcome. We emphasise that a single radiological sign should be seen in the context of the entire scan.