Diffusion- and Perfusion-Weighted Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Neurologic Complications After Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

In patients with neurologic symptoms after cardiac surgery, DWI is more sensitive to ischemic change than computed tomographic scanning and can demonstrate patterns of infarction that may help us understand etiology. The most common pattern was multiple embolic infarcts. Preliminary experience with MRPI suggests that some patients have persistent diffusion-perfusion mismatch after surgery and may benefit from therapeutic intervention.