Abstract
PURPOSE
To estimate the age of cerebral infarcts using magnetization transfer.
METHODS
Twelve patients with radiographically and clinically documented cortical and subcortical cerebral infarctions underwent MR imaging on a 0.1T magnet. Magnetization transfer contrast images were generated by application of off-resonance pulses to every other repetition time on intermediate-weighted images. The magnetization transfer effect was calculated by obtaining an intensity value in the region of interest within the infarcted area.
RESULTS
The data show a pattern in which the magnetization transfer effect decreases as the chronicity of the infarct increases. Infarcts less than 1 week old had an average magnetization transfer effect of 0.35. Those more than 1 week and less than 1 month old average 0.30. Infarcts more than 1 month and specifically those more than 1 year old averaged 0.16 or less.
CONCLUSION
Magnetization transfer offers the potential to estimate the age of cerebral infarcts.
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