Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging and T2-Weighted MR Imaging in Acute Cerebral Ischaemia: Comparison and Correlation with Histopathology

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is a new technique which measures the microscopic motion of water protons. Signal hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted images correlates closely with evidence of ischaemic damage on histopathologic sections. Following occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), diffusion-weighted images indicate the presence of early pathophysiologic changes occurring first in the basal ganglia and, subsequently, in cortical gray matter within the MCA vascular territory. Diffusion-weighted images also better define the anatomic locus of ischaemic tissue injury than T2-weighted images. Diffusion-weighted imaging thus appears to facilitate early detection and thereby possible therapeutic intervention in patients with acute stroke.