Advantages of High b Value Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in the Diagnosis of Acute Stroke – A Case Report

Case ReportA 73-year-old man with acute-onset dizziness and ataxia was admitted to Hiroshima University Hospital.MR angiography (MRA) performed within 6 h of symptom onset showed that the left superior cerebellar artery was occluded ( fig. 1 a), although DWI based on b value of 1,000 s/mm 2 (DWI 1,000 ) failed to identify any obvious changes in the cerebellum ( fig. 1 b).On the other hand, on DWI based on a b value of 4,000 s/mm 2 (DWI 4,000 ), there was an obvious high-intensity area in the upper left cerebellum supplied by the superior cerebellar artery ( fig. 1 c).We administered anticoagulant therapy.A MRI study performed on the 8th day post-onset ( fig. 1 d) showed cerebellar lesions that were closely associated with the high-intensity lesion noted on the initial DWI 4,000 .MRA revealed recanalization of the superior cerebellar artery.