T Sichtermann1, J K Furtmann2, S Dekeyzer2,3, G Gilmour2, A M Oros-Peusquens4, J P Bach5, M Wiesmann2, N J Shah5,4, O Nikoubashman2. 1. From the Departments of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology (T.S., J.K.F., S.D., G.G., M.W., O.N.) tsichtermann@ukaachen.de. 2. From the Departments of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology (T.S., J.K.F., S.D., G.G., M.W., O.N.). 3. Department of Radiology (S.D.), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium. 4. Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (A.M.O.-P., N.J.S.), Jülich, Germany. 5. Neurology (J.P.B., N.J.S.), University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Periventricular caps are a common finding on MR imaging and are believed to reflect focally increased interstitial water content due to dysfunctional transependymal transportation rather than ischemic-gliotic changes. We compared the quantitative water content of periventricular caps and microvascular white matter lesions, hypothesizing that periventricular caps associated with increased interstitial fluid content display higher water content than white matter lesions and are therefore differentiable from microvascular white matter lesions by measurement of the water content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study, we compared the water content of periventricular caps and white matter lesions in 50 patients using a quantitative multiple-echo, gradient-echo MR imaging water-mapping sequence. RESULTS: The water content of periventricular caps was significantly higher than that of white matter lesions (P = .002). Compared with normal white matter, the mean water content of periventricular caps was 17% ± 5% higher and the mean water content of white matter lesions was 11% ± 4% higher. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that areas in which water content was 15% higher compared with normal white matter correspond to periventricular caps rather than white matter lesions, with a specificity of 93% and a sensitivity of 60% (P < .001). There was no significant correlation between the water content of periventricular caps and whole-brain volume (P = .275), white matter volume (P = .243), gray matter volume (P = .548), lateral ventricle volume (P = .800), white matter lesion volume (P = .081), periventricular cap volume (P = .081), and age (P = .224). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative MR imaging allows differentiation between periventricular caps and white matter lesions. Water content quantification of T2-hyperintense lesions may be a useful additional tool for the characterization and differentiation of T2-hyperintense diseases.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Periventricular caps are a common finding on MR imaging and are believed to reflect focally increased interstitial water content due to dysfunctional transependymal transportation rather than ischemic-gliotic changes. We compared the quantitative water content of periventricular caps and microvascular white matter lesions, hypothesizing that periventricular caps associated with increased interstitial fluid content display higher water content than white matter lesions and are therefore differentiable from microvascular white matter lesions by measurement of the water content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study, we compared the water content of periventricular caps and white matter lesions in 50 patients using a quantitative multiple-echo, gradient-echo MR imaging water-mapping sequence. RESULTS: The water content of periventricular caps was significantly higher than that of white matter lesions (P = .002). Compared with normal white matter, the mean water content of periventricular caps was 17% ± 5% higher and the mean water content of white matter lesions was 11% ± 4% higher. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that areas in which water content was 15% higher compared with normal white matter correspond to periventricular caps rather than white matter lesions, with a specificity of 93% and a sensitivity of 60% (P < .001). There was no significant correlation between the water content of periventricular caps and whole-brain volume (P = .275), white matter volume (P = .243), gray matter volume (P = .548), lateral ventricle volume (P = .800), white matter lesion volume (P = .081), periventricular cap volume (P = .081), and age (P = .224). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative MR imaging allows differentiation between periventricular caps and white matter lesions. Water content quantification of T2-hyperintense lesions may be a useful additional tool for the characterization and differentiation of T2-hyperintense diseases.
Authors: Reinhold Schmidt; Helena Schmidt; Johannes Haybaeck; Marisa Loitfelder; Serge Weis; Margherita Cavalieri; Stephan Seiler; Christian Enzinger; Stefan Ropele; Timo Erkinjuntti; Leonardo Pantoni; Philip Scheltens; Franz Fazekas; Kurt Jellinger Journal: Acta Neuropathol Date: 2011-06-25 Impact factor: 17.088
Authors: W G Bradley; A R Whittemore; A S Watanabe; S J Davis; L M Teresi; M Homyak Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 1991 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 3.825