Optimal brain imaging for diagnosing and managing acute ischemic stroke should address the presence of 4 essential issues:

• hemorrhage
• intravascular thrombus
• core irreversibly infarcted tissue and its size, and
• hypoperfused tissue at risk for subsequent infarction if not rescued.

References

• Latchaw, et al. "Recommendations for Imaging of Acute Ischemic Stroke." Stroke 2009; 40; 3646-78.