MRI question

[GREGtotheHOUSE]

Hey docs could one of you please tell me if a lesion on an MRI is the same as an infarc?

 

That is, does it show up as the same on the film?

[A-Stark]

Show up the same as what?

 

Infarcts (new and old) can certainly be seen on MRI. Generally acute infarcts are seen on diffusion-weighted images (DWI) while T2-FLAIR shows acute, subacute, and sometimes older lesions.

 

But in Canada, anyway, the first investigation is usually an unenhanced CT head.

[GREGtotheHOUSE]

Show up the same as what?

 

Infarcts (new and old) can certainly be seen on MRI. Generally acute infarcts are seen on diffusion-weighted images (DWI) while T2-FLAIR shows acute, subacute, and sometimes older lesions.

 

But in Canada, anyway, the first investigation is usually an unenhanced CT head.

 

 

sorry I mean if they look similar on the film

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=7Bx5JUOaQJ2XPM:&imgrefurl=http://www.doctorshangout.com/profile/BENGHOZZIA&docid=CiyKYN_TiBLWjM&imgurl=http://api.ning.com/files/KOr0jQivsLnPZd6AB0AAYr6dJj*Hr2wpL87kB2D8EsylmjeyU43pVNVcVyu20WcGpocJ4oPRyjuzl1G5DHfImrINTFDDV8jj/sep.jpg&w=431&h=504&ei=MdIEUJyyJcShrAHp2-DrCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=177&vpy=274&dur=251&hovh=243&hovw=208&tx=128&ty=158&sig=109463630363909502079&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=122&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:98

 

 

as in just a white dot

[A-Stark]

I can't really tell whether that's T1 or T2 (it's not DWI as near as I can tell???). Either way, it's showing MS lesions, not infarcts. Note that they can be distinguished from infarcts insofar as they do not correspond to vascular territories.

[GREGtotheHOUSE]

I can't really tell whether that's T1 or T2 (it's not DWI as near as I can tell???). Either way, it's showing MS lesions, not infarcts. Note that they can be distinguished from infarcts insofar as they do not correspond to vascular territories.

 

Thanks Stark

[Lactic Folly]

Hey docs could one of you please tell me if a lesion on an MRI is the same as an infarc?

 

That is, does it show up as the same on the film?

 

Lesion is just a general term for something that looks abnormal.

Infarct is when tissue has died from ischemia.

 

Please note that CT may be normal in the first few hours of an acute stroke. Emergent CTs in this setting are not used to diagnose stroke (that is done clinically) but rather to determine if the patient is a candidate for TPA and rule out alternative diagnoses.