Serial study of apparent diffusion coefficient and anisotropy in patients with acute stroke

Abstract

Background and Purpose - We sought to characterize the evolution of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and apparent diffusion anisotropy (ADA) in acute stroke and to evaluate their roles in predicting stroke evolution and outcome. Methods - We studied 26 stroke patients acutely (<24 hours), subacutely (3 to 5 days), and at outcome (3 months). Ratios of the ADC and ADA within a region of infarction and the normal contralateral region were evaluated and compared with the Canadian Neurological Scale, Barthel Index, and Rankin Scale. Results - Heterogeneity in ADC and ADA evolution was observed not only between patients but also within individual lesions. Three patterns of ADA evolution were o..