Restricted diffusion
Read Your Scan Editorial Team·Last updated
Written from published radiology references and reviewed for plain language. Not written or signed by a physician, and not a diagnosis. How we write these pages →
In plain language
Water in an area is moving less freely than it should, making it bright on the diffusion sequence and dark on the ADC map. In the brain this is the signature of a recent stroke; elsewhere it flags dense, tightly packed tissue such as pus or some tumours.
Where you’ll see this
MRI findings and impressions, usually with both DWI and ADC mentioned together.
Your report may word it “Diffusion restriction” or “Restricted diffusivity”. These mean the same thing.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- Did this scan use the right technique to answer my question?
- Would contrast, or a different sequence, show something this one could not?
- Do I need another scan, or is this one enough?
How the scan was taken
Where this word comes up
See this word on your own scan
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