Fast FLAIR sequence for detecting major vascular abnormalities during the hyperacute phase of stroke: a comparison with MR angiography

Abstract

In the hyperacute phase of stroke, occluded vessels can be seen as high signal on fast-FLAIR images or as absence of flow-related enhancement in maximum-intensity projection (MIP) MR angiography (MRA). To compare these techniques, we examined 53 patients within 6 h of a stroke, using a standardised MRI protocol including fast-FLAIR and 3D time-of-flight TOF MR to detect vessel occlusion or reduced flow corresponding to the suspected ischaemic territory. Brain infarcts were confirmed on MRI after 1–5 days in 41 cases (77 %). The overall accuracy of 3D-TOF MRA was 68 % and sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 67 %, 71 %, 87 %, and 43 % respectively. Values for the fast-FLAIR sequence were: 65 %, 85 %, 93 % and 44 %, with an overall accuracy of 70 %. The fast-FLAIR sequence was thus able to show occluded vessels or reduced flow with about the same accuracy as 3D-TOF MRA and enabled better prediction of the ischaemic area.