Imaging Tool Aids Early Stroke Diagnosis

Better diagnosis and treatment of suspected stroke victims is claimed for a new diffusion imaging package developed for Siemens magnetic resonance (MR) imaging equipment. It will enable the more accurate detection of the presence and location of acute stroke involvement, says Yuri Wedmid, product manager, Siemens Medical Systems Inc.'s Imaging Systems Group, Iselin, N.J. The package is designed to permit the detection and visualization of normal and reduced levels of water diffusion in the brain. Normal brain tissue, with its high levels of water diffusion, appears as dark areas in an MR image. Strokes, which reduce the supply of blood to the affected areas of the brain, also reduce water diffusion in those areas--resulting in bright areas in MR images.