The clinical application of FLAIR technique MRI in the diagnosis of cerebral infarction

Objective To evaluate the value of FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) technique in the diagnosis of cerebral infarction. Methods 46 patients with cerebral infarction were studied with MR SE T2WI and FLAIR technique. The detectable abilities of lesions with FLAIR and SE T2WI were compared. Results 91 lesions were showed with SE T2WI and 117 lesions with FLAIR. 9 lesions in centrum semiovale and 8 in paraventricular area were only displayed with FLAIR. FLAIR displayed the lesions of acute and subacute cerebral infarctions very clearly. Chronic infarctions demonstrated hypointensive center with high intensive rim or hypointensive plaque in FLAIR images. Conclusion FLAIR should become a conventional sequence in the diagnosis of cerebral infarction,but it can not substitute SE T2WI. FLAIR is also a useful method in staging diagnosis of cerebral infarction.