To present the enhancement patterns of cerebral or cerebellar cortical infarction and correlate them with infarct age, and to determine the usefulness of contrast enhancement in brain infarction, contrast-enhanced MRI in 98 patients(74 men, 24
women)
were retrospectively reviewed.
The enhancement patterns were analyzed and categorized as non-parenchymal(NPE) and parenchymal enhancement(PE).
Overall frequency of contrast enhancement in the area of infarction was 60%(58/98). Of these, NPE was 41%(24/58), PE was 50%(29/58), and mixed pattern was 9%(5/98). In acute infarctions(within 7days), 54%(29/54) revealed contrast enhancement as
NPE
of
86%(25/29), and the NPE was most frequent within 7 days after ictus. In the infarctions between 8 days and 41 days, 66%(29/44) revealed contrast enhancement as PE of 90%(26/29).
In conclusion, NPE is a characteristic MR finding in acute cortical infarction and would be the only sign within 24 hours after ictus. PE is most prevalent between 7 and 14 days after ictus and it is a characteristic finding of subacute
infarction.
Contrast-enhanced MRI is important for the early detection of acute infarction.
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