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The role of CT and MR in stroke patients

Currently, non-contrast CT is the primary choice for the initial evaluation of patients suspected of stroke. CT is widely available, a scan can be made within a minute, and unstable patients are easier to manage in a CT scanner than in an MR scanner. Thereby, most of the time an NCCT provides enough information to differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, that is, if imaging takes place within a few hours after stroke onset. Within that time, there exist tangible indications of early ischemia e.g., loss of differentiation between gray and white matter and subtle signs of swelling. CT is the first-line imaging modality used in neurologic emergencies…

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Resources

RadiologyInfo.org

CT imaging is sometimes compared to looking into a loaf of bread by cutting the loaf into thin slices. When the image slices are reassembled by computer software, the result is a very detailed multidimensional view of the body's interior.