Abstract

 

Purpose : Evaluation of the presence of hyperdense Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) and sulcal effacement as a

hyperacute phase sign in cases diagnosed as symptomatic stroke but with no sign of infarct in 6 hours CT.

Material and Method : Seventy-nine cases (31 male, 48 female) having immediate within 6 hours and control CT’s

with a diagnosis of brain stroke were evaluated. The correlations between hyperdense MCA sign and effacement of

cortical sulci on immediate CT’s and regions of infarction on control CT’s of brain were investigated.

Results : MCA involvement was present in 36.7% (n:29) of our cases. In 17.2% (n:5) of these cases hyperdense

MCA images were detected. Obsereved cases with effacement of cortical sulci constitued 25.5% (n:7) of all MCA

infarctions. On control CT’s taken at least 3 days later during clinical treatment, cortical infarcts in 60% (n:3) of

cases and large infarcts in 40% (n:2) of cases with hyperdense MCA sign were observed. On control CT’s of 7

patients with sulci effacement, there were infarctions which cortical in 4 cases and large in 3 cases.

Discussion : Positive effect of treatment approach in hyperacute stroke on the morbidity of large branch infacts of

MCA is known. Our result indicate the importance of evaluation of hiperdense artery and sulci effecament in MCA

infarcts.

Key Words : Brain infarction, Hyperdense Midlle Cerebral Artery, Sulcus Effacement