[Diffusion-Weighted Imaging infarct volume and neurologic outcomes after ischemic stroke]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Context:

• Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability.
• Early assessment of stroke progression is crucial for predicting patient outcomes.
• Diffusion-Weighted MRI (DWI) is a key imaging technique for evaluating acute ischemic stroke.

Purpose:

• To investigate the relationship between the growth of infarct volume measured by DWI and functional outcomes at 90 days post-stroke.
• To determine if changes in DWI lesion volume from baseline to 24 hours predict modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days.

Summary:

• Sixty-nine stroke patients underwent serial DWI scans. Infarct volumes were measured at baseline and 24 hours. Functional outcomes were assessed using the mRS at 90 days.
• A significant increase in DWI infarct volume was observed between baseline and 24-hour follow-up (average growth from 19.7 cm³ to 46.1 cm³).
• Each 10 cm³ increase in DWI infarct volume growth was associated with a significantly higher odds ratio (10.1) for poor functional outcome (mRS > 1).

Impact:

• This study highlights the prognostic value of monitoring infarct growth using DWI in acute stroke.
• Findings suggest that DWI infarct growth is an independent predictor of poor functional recovery.
• Early identification of patients with significant infarct growth may allow for timely therapeutic interventions to improve outcomes.