[Differential diagnoses of ischemic stroke using imaging].

Diffusion-weighted imaging enables us to detect acute ischemic stroke early and with high sensitivity and specificity. Its signal changes are based on decreased diffusion of water molecules that is caused by cytotoxic edema. Several different neurological diseases can also cause restricted diffusion and therefore mimic stroke. These can generally be reliably distinguished from ischemic stroke based on location, morphology and signal behavior in other magnetic resonance imaging sequences.