[Modern diagnosis in acute cerebral infarct. Diffusion weighted imaging and ADC (apparent diffusion coefficient) calculations].

Many different methods have been established for the diagnosis of cerebral stroke. During the acute phase, small infarctions are often not detectable by computer tomography (CT). Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is a new tool which enables the detection of cerebral infarction earlier than is possible by CT. By using DWI it is possible to quantify changes in diffusion by calculating the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). ADC maps calculated using DWI therefore enable the quantification of the apparent diffusion conditions and allow the determination of the onset of cerebral ischemia. DWI can be used in the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies by controlling and quantifying the effect of new therapeutic agents.