Table 1.
Three types of MRI abnormalities in DWI, ADC, and T2WI sequences.
| DWI | ADC | T2WI | Mechanism | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cytotoxic edema (acute phase ischemic infarction), abscess, demyelination | ↑ | ↓ | ? | Diffusion restriction |
| CSF, chronic phase ischemic infarction | ↓ | ↑↑ | ↑ | Increased water diffusion |
| Vasogenic edema | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | T2 shine through |
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; DWI, diffusion-weighted Imaging; T2 FLAIR, T2-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery; ADC, apparent diffusion coefficient. ↑ indicates hyperintensity, down arrow; ↓ indicates hypointensity; ? indicates variable level of cellular death in diseases process.