CT in acute ischemic stroke

The advent of new MRI techniques such as perfusion- (PWI) and diffusion- (DWI) weighted imaging has improved diagnostic imaging in stroke. However, CT scanners are more widely available and less expensive than MRI scanners and are often located in the emergency departments even of smaller community hospitals. Topic of this article is CT-based diagnosis of patients with hyperacute ischemic stroke. In hyperacute stroke, a multiparametric CT protocol allows a comprehensive diagnosis by combining non-contrast enhanced CT (NECT), perfusion CT (PCT), and CT angiography (CTA). PCT can render important information about the hypoperfused brain tissue, CTA provides further important information about the vessel status. When stroke MRI is not available, multiparametric stroke CT can give nearly equivalent information, and can help to identify patients for thrombolytic therapy. (orig.)