Diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging in childhood stroke

Two magnetic resonance imaging techniques, diffusion and perfusion imaging, are being used increasingly for evaluation of pathophysiology of stroke. This article introduces these techniques and reports some initial studies using these approaches, together with conventional T(2)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, for investigation of childhood stroke. It is shown that the combination of T(2)-weighted and diffusion images can provide information about the timing of stroke events in childhood, and perfusion imaging can detect abnormalities not visible by other magnetic resonance imaging techniques. These magnetic resonance methods therefore should play an important role in in investigation of children with stroke and could be of particular value in studies of at-risk populations of children such as those with sickle cell disease.