PURPOSE: The purpose of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the sensitivity of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) compared to conventional spin-echo T2-weighted and T2*-weighted images in detecting iron deposition in the motor cortex of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in comparison with age-matched normal controls. We also investigated the etiology of the low signal referring to the pathology of one autopsy case. METHODS: This retrospective magnetic resonance (MR) study included 23 ALS patients and 28 age-matched normal controls. The signal intensity of the motor cortex was scored by SWI, conventional T2-weighted images and T2*-weighted images. A postmortem study of one patient was also performed. RESULTS: On SWI, there was a significant difference between the precentral cortical signal intensity scores in the ALS patients and the controls (P < .0001). The total scores of signal intensities of the precentral cortex were positively correlated with age in the normal controls (r = .494), but no correlation was observed in the ALS patients. The postmortem study showed intensely stained microglias and macrophages after antiferritin antibody staining in the precentral cortices. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased signal intensity of the motor cortex on SWI may serve a useful role in ALS diagnoses, particularly in young patients. MR images were also helpful for speculating on the etiology of ALS.
PURPOSE: The purpose of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the sensitivity of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) compared to conventional spin-echo T2-weighted and T2*-weighted images in detecting iron deposition in the motor cortex of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in comparison with age-matched normal controls. We also investigated the etiology of the low signal referring to the pathology of one autopsy case. METHODS: This retrospective magnetic resonance (MR) study included 23 ALSpatients and 28 age-matched normal controls. The signal intensity of the motor cortex was scored by SWI, conventional T2-weighted images and T2*-weighted images. A postmortem study of one patient was also performed. RESULTS: On SWI, there was a significant difference between the precentral cortical signal intensity scores in the ALSpatients and the controls (P < .0001). The total scores of signal intensities of the precentral cortex were positively correlated with age in the normal controls (r = .494), but no correlation was observed in the ALSpatients. The postmortem study showed intensely stained microglias and macrophages after antiferritin antibody staining in the precentral cortices. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased signal intensity of the motor cortex on SWI may serve a useful role in ALS diagnoses, particularly in young patients. MR images were also helpful for speculating on the etiology of ALS.
Authors: M Cosottini; G Donatelli; M Costagli; E Caldarazzo Ienco; D Frosini; I Pesaresi; L Biagi; G Siciliano; M Tosetti Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2015-12-17 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: R Sheelakumari; C Kesavadas; T Varghese; R M Sreedharan; B Thomas; J Verghese; P S Mathuranath Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2017-08-24 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: Adib A Abla; Jeffrey Nelson; Helen Kim; Christopher P Hess; Tarik Tihan; Michael T Lawton Journal: Neurosurgery Date: 2015-05 Impact factor: 4.654