CT perfusion imaging with syngo® Volume Perfusion CT Neuro can be used to diagnose acute ischemic stroke in the emergency department quicker than with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to results of a large single-center study [2]. The study shows that CT perfusion had 100 percent accuracy for detecting the acute ischemic stroke (AIS). If adopted, the researchers say that this advancement in stroke detection will mean dramatically faster diagnosis times - less than half the time of MRI screening - and enable physicians to provide more accurate and targeted care, thereby avoiding potentially life-threatening complications that can occur when thrombolytic drug therapy is used inappropriately. The study also reveals that within five minutes of the patient getting on the CT scanner table, results can be achieved, as opposed to MRI, which takes half an hour. The study also reveals that the widespread use of CT perfusion is a practical way to help busy emergency departments to significantly save time in acute stroke diagnosis, target treatment, and reduce the risks of inappropriate thrombolytic use. According to the researchers, it is remarkable that the average time between an emergency room neurological exam and CT scan was only 35 minutes. They confirmed that CT perfusion imaging is very effective for diagnosing acute stroke and concluded that their result could change national stroke triage protocols.

Apart from the speed advantage, dynamic perfusion CT has become an increasingly accepted examination for the differential diagnosis of acute stroke patients. Multislice CT, with a continuously increasing number of detector rows, has quickly made high-resolution CTA of the cerebral vasculature a clinical routine examination. It has, however, not really overcome the limitations with respect to traditional CT perfusion imaging, which is restricted to the detector width. Innovative technology such as the unique Adaptive 4D Spiral mode of the Siemens SOMATOM® Definition family overcomes the limitations of static detector designs and now allows volume perfusion imaging of the whole brain in clinical routine.