Background and Purpose-Different definitions have been proposed to define the ischemic penumbra from perfusion-CT (PCT) data, based on parameters and thresholds tested only in small pilot studies. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic evaluation of all PCT parameters (cerebral blood flow, volume [CBV], mean transit time [MTT], time-to-peak) in a large series of acute stroke patients, to determine which (combination of) parameters most accurately predicts infarct and penumbra. Methods-One hundred and thirty patients with symptoms suggesting hemispheric stroke Յ12 hours from onset were enrolled in a prospective multicenter trial. They all underwent admission PCT and follow-up diffusion-weighted imaging/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (DWI/FLAIR); 25 patients also underwent admission DWI/FLAIR. PCT maps were assessed for absolute and relative reduced CBV, reduced cerebral blood flow, increased MTT, and increased time-to-peak. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the most accurate PCT parameter, and the optimal threshold for each parameter, using DWI/FLAIR as the gold standard. Results-The PCT parameter that most accurately describes the tissue at risk of infarction in case of persistent arterial occlusion is the relative MTT (area under the curveϭ0.962), with an optimal threshold of 145%. The PCT parameter that most accurately describes the infarct core on admission is the absolute CBV (area under the curveϭ0.927), with an optimal threshold at 2.0 mlϫ100 g
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