Fig. 8

Postmortem ultra-high-resolution MRI of a 100 μm thick section scanned at 11.7 T followed by post-imaging histological staining (case 2). a The microinfarct (asterisk) could not be identified in the T2*-weighted image, and the microinfarction zone showed very little iron deposition as indicated by Prussian blue staining in an adjacent section (not shown). However, microvessels appeared enlarged due to the blooming effect, probably induced by susceptibility effects of iron magnetism in erythrocytes (see inset a₁). b Proton density (PD) image sequence reflecting the proton (water) content in the tissue also failed to visualize this microinfarct (see asterisk and inset b₁). c In the T2-weighted image, a slightly enhanced hyperintense signal was observed at the superficial part of the infarction zone (white arrow in inset c₁). d The superficial zone of the microinfarct (see asterisk) also gave a slightly hypointense signal in the T1-weighted image (area indicated by black arrows in inset d₁). e-f The MRI-scanned section showed a microinfarct with characteristic changes in the microvasculature as seen in double-labeling for Coll4 and UEA-l lectin, which visualizes the endothelial glycocalyx, but the microinfarct area covered by the dense microvascular meshwork could not be distinguished well from the surrounding tissue based on MRI signals [see in frame f in (e) and the enlarged inset in (f)]. Arrow heads (a-d) points to an artefact resulting from an overlay of two flee-floating ends of the section. Scale bars: 3 mm (e) and 500 μm (f)