Perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of acute cerebral infarction

There is no doubt that CT and MRI play a major role in the diagnosis and selection of optimal therapeutic strategies in cases of acute cerebral infarction. However, it is true that there is a wide variation in the scanning protocols as well as data analysis procedures; these differences in imaging studies could translate into a lack of control over therapeutic strategies, thereby undermining the quality of clinical practice. It is obvious that standardization of imaging procedures is mandatory; however, so far, no such project has been conducted either at home or abroad. With this background, a couple of multi-institutional working groups dedicated to the standardization and development of practical guideline for imaging procedures in the setting of acute cerebral stroke, are now in operation in Japan.