Abstract：Objective: To explore the clinical application of T2-star weighted angiography(SWAN) in detecting lacunar infarction in aged patiens with point-like short-T2 signal. Methods: Fifty-eight cases with lacunar infarction and 58 cases healthy elderly population above 60-years old as control group were examined using SWAN and GRE-T2*WI sequence. The number, location and occurrence of point-like short-T2 signal and location, and number of lacunar infarction were calculated. Result: Seventy-seven point-like short-T2 signal in 33 cases were demonstrated by SWAN and 38 point-like short-T2 signal in 17 cases were found by GRE-T2*WI sequence, including 25 cases of lacunar infarction group and 6 cases of control group. Slight, moderate, severe degree of point-like short-T2 signal were found in lacunar infarction group. Only slight point-like short-T2 signal were seen in control group. Incidence and grade of point-like short-T2 signal were significantly different in the two groups. Conclusion: SWAN sequence was much better than GRE-T2*WI in the sensitivity to show point-like short-T2 signal. Most point-like short-T2 signal was considered as cerebral microbleeds. It was revealed that the occurrence of point-like short-T2 signal was significantly high in lacunar infarction patients. Enough attention should be paid to those point-like short-T2 signal if necessary SWAN sequence should be performed before thrombolystic therapy, so this may guide and improve the clinical treatment plan.
2010, Vol. 21 
