Identification of Embolic Stroke Patterns by Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Clinically Defined Lacunar Stroke Syndromes

Abstract

The use of DWI-MRI improves the accuracy of the subtype diagnosis of stroke. Inaccuracy has to be expected in approximately one third if lacunar diagnosis is based on clinical and computed tomography findings. Most of these "false-positive" cases are attributable to large artery or cardiogenic embolic stroke.