Use of various CT imaging methods for diagnosis of acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease

Thirty-four patients with cerebral infarction and 18 patients with transient ischemic attack were examined by multi-slice spiral CT scan, CT perfusion imaging, and CT angiography within 6 hours after onset. By CT perfusion imaging, 29 cases in the cerebral infarction group and 10 cases in the transient ischemic attack group presented with abnormal blood flow perfusion, which corresponded to the clinical symptoms. By CT angiography, various degrees of vascular stenosis could be detected in 41 patients, including 33 in the cerebral infarction group and eight in the transient ischemic attack group. The incidence of intracranial artery stenosis was higher than that of extracranial artery stenosis. The intracranial artery stenosis was located predominantly in the middle cerebral artery and carotid artery siphon, while the extracranial artery stenosis occurred mainly in the bifurcation of the common carotid artery and the opening of the vertebral artery. There were 34 cases （83%） with convict vascular stenosis and perfusion abnormalities, and five cases （45%） with perfusion abnormalities but without convict vascular stenosis. The incidence of cerebral infarction in patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores 〉 5 points during onset was significantly higher than that in patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores 〈 5 points. These experimental findings indicate that the combined application of various CT imaging methods allows early diagnosis of acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease, which can comprehensively analyze the pathogenesis and severity of acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease at the morphological and functional levels.

Magnetic resonance perfusion imaging evaluation in perfusion abnormalities of the cerebellum after supratentorial unilateral hyperacute cerebral infarction

Magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） data of 10 patients with hyperacute cerebral infarction （≤6 hours） were retrospectively analyzed.Six patients exhibited perfusion defects on negative enhancement integral maps,four patients exhibited perfusion differences in pseudo-color on mean time to enhance maps,and three patients exhibited perfusion differences in pseudo-color on time to minimum maps.Dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion weighted imaging revealed a significant increase in region negative enhancement integral in the affected hemisphere of patients with cerebral infarction.The results suggest that dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion weighted imaging can clearly detect perfusion abnormalities in the cerebellum after unilateral hyperacute cerebral infarction.

Plasma level of neuron specific enolase in patients with acute cerebral infarction:A case-control study

BACKGROUND： The plasma level of neuron specific enolase （NSE） can be used to diagnose and evaluate neuronal injury and predict early prognosis. OBJECTIVE： To observe the dynamic changes in plasma levels of NSE in patients with acute cerebral infarction, and to investigate its correlations with disease severity and prognosis. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： This non-randomized, concurrent case-control experiment was performed at the Department of Neurology, First Hospital Affiliated to Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between May and July 2007. PARTICIPANTS： Eighteen patients with acute cerebral infarction, who received treatment at the Department of Neurology, First Hospital Affiliated to Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between May and July 2007, were recruited into the patient group. An additional 10 healthy individuals, who received health examinations simultaneously, were included as controls. METHODS： Following admission （within 3 days） and at days 6, 12, and 30 subsequent to acute cerebral infarction attack, 3 mL venous blood was taken from each patient before the morning meal to determine the plasma level of NSE by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay. One-time blood extraction was performed in each healthy subject during the health examination for the same purpose as in patients. At 6 and 30 days following acute cerebral infarction attack, CT examination was performed for calculation of cerebral infarction volume according to the Tada formula. Following admission and at 30 days of disease invasion, all patients were scored by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale （NIHSS, 13 items）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Comparison of NSE plasma level between acute cerebral infarction patients and healthy individuals; correlations of NSE plasma level in acute cerebral infarction patients with cerebral infarction volume, NIHSS score, and prognosis. RESULTS： Following admission and at days 6 and 12 of disease invasion, the plasma level of NSE was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group （P 〈 0.05）. Following admission and at day 30 of disease invasion, the NIHSS scores of the patient group were 17.706 and 11.222, respectively. Following admission and at day 6 of disease invasion, the plasma level of NSE was positively correlated with cerebral infarction volume （r = 0.503, 0.435, P 〈 0.05）, but it was negatively correlated with NIHSS score （r = -0.571, 0.368, P 〈 0.05）. The plasma level of NSE was mostly correlated with cerebral infarction volume, followed by NIHSS score, and lastly prognosis, with regression coefficients of 0.386, 0.343, and 0.340, respectively. CONCLUSION： The plasma level of NSE is higher in patients with acute cerebral infarction than in the healthy population. It can reflect infarct severity and predict early prognosis of acute cerebral infarction.