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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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Brain Infarct Segmentation and Registration on MRI or CT for Lesion-symptom Mapping
Published on: September 25, 2019
Patterns of acute cerebral infarcts in patients with active malignancy using diffusion-weighted imaging
Chien-Tai Hong1, Li-Kai Tsai, Jiann-Shing Jeng
1Department of Neurology, En-Chu-Kong Hospital, Sansia, Taiwan, ROC.
Cerebrovascular Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 22, 2009
Summary
Cancer patients often experience multiple, embolic cerebral infarcts, particularly those with gastrointestinal cancer. These infarcts are linked to higher mortality rates, underscoring the need for targeted stroke prevention in oncology.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Cerebral infarct characteristics in cancer patients remain debated.
- Acute cerebral infarction in active malignancy requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize acute cerebral infarction in cancer patients using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).
- To compare infarct patterns between cancer patients and the general population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 70 cancer patients with acute cerebral infarction confirmed by DWI.
- Classification of infarct patterns: embolic, large artery disease, and lacunar.
- Review of medical records for demographic, cancer, vascular, and prognostic data.
Main Results:
- Two-thirds of cancer patients had multiple infarcts; 30% were infratentorial.
- Embolic infarction was most common (60%), followed by large artery disease (31%) and lacunar infarction (9%).
- Gastrointestinal cancer significantly correlated with embolic infarction (OR 4.64, p=0.04); 3-month mortality was higher with metastasis (68% vs 8%).
Conclusions:
- Cerebral infarcts in cancer patients are frequently embolic and multiple.
- Gastrointestinal cancer patients show increased susceptibility to embolic cerebral infarction.
- Cancer-associated stroke carries a poorer prognosis, emphasizing the importance of early detection and management.
