Rapid Stroke Screening: A 3-Minute Ultrafast MRI/MRA Protocol.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of a 3-minute ultrafast MRI/MRA protocol for acute ischemic stroke screening.
Methods: Sixty-seven patients undergoing stroke evaluation received both ultrafast and standard MRI/MRA. Two blinded readers independently reviewed images for acute/chronic infarcts, hemorrhage, and large-vessel occlusion/stenosis. Diagnostic quality was rated using a 3-point Likert scale, and interrater agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa.
Results: The ultrafast protocol demonstrated high diagnostic quality, with 98% of sequences rated as diagnostic. Interrater agreement was perfect for acute infarcts, aneurysms, and vascular occlusions, and near-perfect (>95%) for acute hemorrhage and severe stenosis. Substantial agreement (kappa 0.73-0.76) was observed for chronic infarcts and hemorrhage.
Conclusions: The 3-minute ultrafast MRI/MRA protocol provides rapid and accurate screening for acute ischemic stroke, with excellent diagnostic performance comparable to standard imaging.