Acute Centrum Ovale Infarction: Evaluation With Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging

Objective To evaluate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the diagnosis of acute centrum ovale infarction, and the efficacy of DWI in differentiating acute from non-acute infarction. And at the same time, we have drawn conclusions regarding their pathogenesis.Methods All 58 patients with centrum ovale infarcts undervent conventional MRI and DWI scanning after symptoms onset. All images were read to measure the lesion quantities, locations and to different new lesions from old onese on DWI and conventional MRI, DWI findings were compared with the findings of T1WI and T2WI. We also analized the clinical features of centrum ovale infarcts correlating the results of TCD,MRA and the ultrasound.Results The sensitivity and specifity for the diagnosis of ischamia stroke were 83.33% and 100% at superacute stage ( 6h ). During the time rang of 6h -7d, the sensitivity and the specificity were 100% and 98.80%. Of all the cases, 62.02% were associated with cerebral large-vessel disease and emboligenic heart disease. Only 36.21% of the patients had a classic lacunar syndrome but 68.97% had more frequently an abrupt onset of symptoms.Conclusion DWI is of high accuracy for diagnosing centrum ovale infarction and detecting early infarction lesions which are difficult to be displayed on conventional MRI, and is very helpful in differentiating acute from non-acute lesions; Symptomatic centrum ovale infarction detected by DWI may be associated with large-vessel and heart disease and should be distinguished from lacunarinfarcts.