Diagnostic value of MRI perfusion-weighted imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging parameters in cerebral apoplexy

To assess the clinical and prognostic value of MRI perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) versus diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the diagnosis of patients with ischemic stroke (IS).

Eighty patients diagnosed with IS in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2020 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed and regarded as a patient group. Meanwhile, 50 patients who underwent physical examination at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University during the same period were collected, and were identified by physical examination to have atherosclerotic stenosis but not cerebral infarction, they were set as a control group. The differences of ADC and CBF between both groups were compared. The diagnostic value of ADC and CBF in diagnosing acute ischemic stroke was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The changes of ADC and CBF before and after treatment were compared. Patients were sub-grouped according to their mRS scores, and those with scores of 0-2 were grouped into the good prognosis group while those with scores of 3-6 were grouped into the poor prognosis group, and the risk factors affecting patients' prognosis were evaluated by logistic regression. The correlation of ADC and CBF with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores was analyzed. ADC and CBF levels were compared between deceased and surviving patients, and their predictive value was assessed by ROC curves.

ADC and CBF were dramatically lower in the patient group compared with the control group (P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of ADC and CBF in diagnosing IS was 0.949 and 0.926. The ADC and CBF values after treatment were significantly increased as compared to before treatment (both P<0.05). Both ADC and CBF were lower in the patients of the deceased group than in those in the survival group (P<0.05). The AUC for ADC and CBF in predicting death in patients diagnosed with IS was 0.866 and 0.766, respectively. ADC, CBF was negatively correlated with patients' NIHSS and mRS scores (P<0.01). Higher pre-treatment NIHSS and admission time ≥24 h after onset were risk factors for patient prognosis, whereas higher ADC and CBF values were protective factors (all P<0.05).

ADC and CBF values are reduced in IS patients and can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator of IS.