Fundamental study and clinical application of diffusion / perfusion image

We have developed a magnetic resonance (MR) method to diffusion/perfusion imaging by using gradient pulses in three orthogonal directions. Phantoms containing water and acetone, normal volunteers and patients with cerebral infarction, brain edema and brain tumor were examined. MRI was performed at 1.0 T (SMT-100, Shimadzu Corp., Japan) with cardiac gating spin echo sequences, with or without additional motion-probing gradients on the readout axis or three orthogonal axes. TE was 140 ms. Three orthogonal gradients method was useful to demonstrate the difference of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) more clearly because of totally larger attenuation value (b value). The lesion of brain tumor, brain edema and infarction were demonstrated clearly according to difference of ADC value and moreover, resolving edema was also detected because of its lower ADC value. Diffusion/perfusion imaging will become useful clinically if the problem of artifacts of motion are overcome. (author)