Will a RIND stroke show up on an MRI?

Southern belle rn asked...

I have a history of TBI and strokes. I am a SPI at C4-C7 and cord was described as a "sponge" at those sites during lasts surgery. I feel i had a RIND stroke several weeks ago. Symptoms have been improving much faster this time but I am still not back to "me". Have MRI in a week.

Expert Answer

James Castle, M.D. is a neurologist at NorthShore University HealthSystem (affiliated with The University of Chicago) and an expert on strokes.

RIND is a term that isn't used very much anymore. It was an older term that referred to a stroke which resolved somewhere between one day and one week after onset. That said, the answer to your question is "yes". A RIND, by virtue of the fact that it lasts longer than 24 hours, should almost always show up on an MRI as a stroke. If you get the scan within 3 weeks of the onset of symptoms, the likelihood is quite high that it will show up nicely on the MRI. Beyond 3 weeks, the new stroke tends to fade in to the background, and may not be imaged as easily.

I hope that helps!