Early recanalization is the gold standard treatment for acute ischemic stroke in selected patients with proximal large vessel occlusions. However, a considerable proportion of patients who achieve complete recanalization do not have full clinical recovery at long term. One of the mechanisms related with the limited efficacy of reperfusion therapies is blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, a well-defined deleterious pathological event linked with brain edema, hemorrhagic transformation and poor recovery in experimental and clinical settings. BBB permeability derangements can be quantified and tracked through the use of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT or MRI acquisitions. In this talk I will review the basics and the potential clinical usefulness of BBB permeability imaging in the setting of acute stroke.

Host: Abraham Martín