The effect of diffusion weighted imaging abormalities on outcomes in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Statement of Problem: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) abnormalities may worsen outcomes in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).;Methodology: Consecutive patients with ICH will be prospectively identified in our Neurosciences ICU (NSICU). Consented patients will have a non-contrast MRI scan of their brain with DWI that will be independently reviewed by two blinded neuroradiologists for the presence of DWI lesions. Blinded examiners will obtain 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) via validated structured phone interview.;Results Analysis: Chi-square or Fisher exact test will be used to compare the proportion with poor outcomes at 3-months between patients with DWI lesions versus those without DWI lesions once the study is completed and unblinded. Multivariable logistic regression will be conducted to adjust for known confounders.;Conclusions: If the presence of DWI abnormalities is found to worsen outcomes in this study, further investigation into defining potential mechanisms and novel preventative therapies would be warranted.