Clinical Vignette: Role of Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging in Predicting Stroke Evolution

Susceptibility-weighted imaging provides information about blood oxygenation levels. Deoxyhemoglobin is increased in hypoperfused tissue. Accordingly, the draining veins in an ischemic area may reveal abnormal hypointensity. We report serial MR imaging in a boy with acute ischemic stroke and show the ability of susceptibility-weighted imaging to depict areas of critical perfusion, comparable with dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging and arterial spin-labeling. Our report confirms that susceptibility-weighted imaging may provide noninvasive data about brain tissue at risk for infarct progression by focusing on venous drainage.