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American Journal of Neuroradiology 2009;30:569.

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American Journal of Neuroradiology
DOI 10.3174/ajnr.A1401

BRAIN

Characterizing the Mesencephalon Using Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging

E.S. Manova, C.A. Habib, A.S. Boikov, M. Ayaz, A. Khan, W.M. Kirsch, D.K. Kido and E.M. Haacke

From the Department of Biomedical Engineering (E.S.M., C.A.H., M.A., A.K., E.M.H.), Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich; The MRI Institute for Biomedical Research (C.A.H., A.S.B., M.A., E.M.H.), Detroit, Mich; and Departments of Radiology (D.K.K., E.M.H.) and Neurosurgery (W.M.K.), Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, Calif.

Please address correspondence to E. Mark Haacke, PhD, The MRI Institute for Biomedical Research, 440 E Ferry St, Unit 2, Detroit, MI 48202; e-mail: nmrimaging{at}aol.com

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The mesencephalon is involved in a number of human neurodegenerative disorders and has been typically imaged with T1-, T2- and T2*-weighted methods. Our aim was to collect high-contrast susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) data to differentiate among and within the basic mesencephalic structures: namely, the red nucleus, substantia nigra, and crus cerebri.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: High-resolution SWI, 3D T1-weighted, and T2-weighted data were collected to study contrast in the mesencephalon at 1.5T and 4T. Contrast between structures was calculated for SWI high-pass (HP)-filtered-phase, T1 gradient-echo, and spin-echo T2-weighted data.

RESULTS: SWI HP-filtered-phase data revealed similar contrast for the red nucleus and substantia nigra when compared with T2-weighted imaging. However, SWI was able to show structures within the red nucleus, substantia nigra, and medial geniculate body that were invisible on T2-weighted imaging. T1-weighted imaging, on the other hand, did not reveal measurable contrast for any of the structures of interest. SWI HP-filtered-phase data at 4T agreed well with india ink–stained cadaver brain studies, which appear to correlate with capillary density.

CONCLUSIONS: With SWI, it is possible to create better anatomic images of the mesencephalon, with improved contrast compared with conventional T1- or T2-weighted sequences.




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Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Neuroradiology. Print ISSN: 0195-6108 Online ISSN: 1936-959X