Cerebral blood flow predicts the infarct core new insights from contemporaneous diffusion and perfusion imaging

Abstract

Background and Purpose—The aim of this study is to determine the spatial and volumetric accuracy of infarct core estimates from relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by comparison with near-contemporaneous diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and evaluate whether it is sufficient for patient triage to reperfusion therapies. Methods—One hundred ninety-three patients enrolled in the DEFUSE 2 (Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution) and SENSE 3 (Sensitivity Encoding) stroke studies were screened, and 119 who underwent acute magnetic resonance imaging with DWI and perfusion imaging within 24 hours of onset were included. Infarct core was estimated using reduced ..