REVIEW ARTICLE Evaluation of CT Perfusion in the Setting of Cerebral Ischemia: Patterns and Pitfalls

SUMMARY: CTP has a growing role in evaluating stroke. It can be performed immediately following NCCT and has advantages of accessibility and speed. Differentiation of salvageable ischemic penum-bra from unsalvageable core infarct may help identify patients most likely to benefit from thrombec-tomy or thrombolysis. Still, CTP interpretation can be complex. We review normal and ischemic perfusion patterns followed by an illustrative series of technical/diagnostic challenges of CTP interpre-tation in the setting of acute stroke syndromes. ABBREVIATIONS: ACA anterior cerebral artery; AIF arterial input function; ASPECTS Albert