Role of MRI in the Early Diagnosis and Management of Acute Stroke and Its Impact on Turnaround Time in Emergency Settings

Acute stroke is a common and often devastating disorder; however, acute treatments that reduce long-term disability are available if patients present within the time window for treatment.

Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used in comprehensive stroke centers, although the role of advanced imaging in the improvement of stroke outcome remains controversial.

MRI offers advantages for the assessment of acute stroke. Changes of acute ischaemic injury are detectable sooner with MRI than with CT, especially with diffusion-weighted imaging, and ischaemic stroke diagnosis with MRI has greater interobserver and intraobserver reliability than CT, even in readers with little experience.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥18 years.
• Both sexes.
• Patients with acute stroke who are admitted to the emergency department.

Exclusion criteria

• Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT).
• Symptoms strongly suggestive of subarachnoid hemorrhage.
• Initiation of antithrombotic or thrombolytic treatment before the completion of both scans.
• Inability to complete both scans in time to allow thrombolytic treatment within three h of the onset of symptoms.
• Uncontrollable hypertension.
• Pregnant or lactating women.