Compartment analysis of contrast enhancement in brain infarctions.

Contrast enhancement has been studied with computed tomography in 18 patients with brain infarction. Four patients were examined on more than one occasion. A mode of contrast medium administration has been used that results in constant blood iodine concentration during the investigation. The enhancement pattern was analyzed using a compartment model. A fast and a slow component of contrast enhancement was quantified for different parts of the infarct. Correlation with the age of the infarct confirms earlier studies, indicating a maximum enhancement at 2 to 4 weeks after the incidence of the infarct.