Clinical study of susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in lacunar cerebral infarction / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical application of susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (SWAN) in lacunar cerebral infarction imaging.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two cases of lacunar cerebral infarction, including 18 complicated by high blood pressure, 4 by type 2 diabetes and 12 by both high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, underwent examinations with SWAN and conventional MRI sequences (including GRE sequence T(1) and T(2), T(2) gradient echo, T(2) FLAIR, DWI). The imaging data were analyzed in comparison with the clinical data of the patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 23 patients with lacunar cerebral infarction, intracerebral micro-hemorrhage displayed point-like, round and oval low signal on SWAN. A total of 123 lesions were identified, distributing from the cortical, subcortical, basal ganglia, thalamus, brain stem to the cerebellum. The conventional sequences were more sensitive in detecting the majority of lacunar cerebral infarction than SWAN, while the latter showed better performance in displaying cerebral micro-hemorrhage, tiny blood vessels and small vascular malformations as well as other small vascular diseases. SWAN was superior to other sequences in showing lacunar cerebral infarction complicated by cerebral micro-hemorrhages.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MRI SWAN can better display lacunar cerebral infarction associated with cerebral micro-hemorrhages and small veins in the infract region. Identification of the micro-hemorrhages in lacunar cerebral infarction can be critical in determining the proper treatments. Patients with lacunar cerebral infarction are likely to have cerebral micro-hemorrhages in close relation to the number of lacunar infarction sites. The cerebral micro-hemorrhages and lacunar cerebral infraction are both signs of micro-vessel damage of the brain.</p>

Relationship between cystatin C and cerebral infarction / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship between cystatin C and cerebral infarction and explore the role of cystatin C in the protection against cerebral infarction.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Eighty-three patients with cerebral infarction and 71 randomly selected age- and gender-matched patients in the Department of Neurology (control group) were enrolled in this study. Fasting whole blood (3 ml) was obtained from the patients in both groups and the sera were separated to determine the levels of cystatin C using particle reinforced immunoturbidimetric assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum cystatin C level was significantly lower in the cerebral infarction group than in the control group (1.62-/+0.31 vs 2.23-/+0.22 mg/L, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Cystatin C is closely related to cerebral infarction probably as a protective factor against cerebral infarction.</p>