COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NON CONTRAST CT AND DIFFUSION WEIGHTED MR IMAGING IN DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF HYPERACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE

Abstract

Background: Early and accurate diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke is essential for appropriate management and improved clinical outcomes. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) is widely used as the initial imaging modality; however, its sensitivity in the early detection of ischemic changes is limited. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) has emerged as a more sensitive technique for detecting acute cerebral ischemia.

Aim: To document and compare the diagnostic performance of Diffusion-weighted MR imaging with Non contrast CT in the diagnosis of hyper acute ischemic stroke.

Materials and Methods: This hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months in the Department of Radio-diagnosis, SVRRGGH, Titupati Andhra pradesh. A total of 50 patients with clinical suspicion of acute stroke were included. All patients underwent NCCT and MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging. Imaging findings were correlated with final clinical diagnosis. Diagnostic performance of NCCT and DW-MRI was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy.