TY - JOUR T1 - Fast multiphase MR imaging of aqueductal CSF flow: 2. Study in patients with hydrocephalus. JF - American Journal of Neuroradiology JO - Am. J. Neuroradiol. SP - 597 LP - 603 VL - 11 IS - 3 AU - M Mascalchi AU - L Ciraolo AU - M Bucciolini AU - D Inzitari AU - G Arnetoli AU - G Dal Pozzo Y1 - 1990/05/01 UR - http://www.ajnr.org/content/11/3/597.abstract N2 - The signal intensity in the region corresponding to the cerebral aqueduct was evaluated in three patients with noncommunicating tension hydrocephalus (caused by aqueductal obstruction in two and type I Arnold-Chiari malformation in the other), seven patients with suspected normal-pressure hydrocephalus (three of whom subsequently underwent successful shunting), and 10 patients with ex vacuo (atrophic) hydrocephalus. A gradient-echo MR sequence, called fast multiphase imaging, was used. Serial images corresponding to different phases of the cardiac cycle were acquired. No flow-related enhancement was observed over the entire cardiac cycle in the patients with noncommunicating hydrocephalus. Patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus showed a higher aqueductal CSF signal intensity, consistent with increased systolic flow rates, than patients with ex vacuo hydrocephalus. When comparing the above two groups of patients with a control group of healthy volunteers, significantly higher and lower values of the (mean) maximum aqueductal signal intensity were found in the normal-pressure hydrocephalus patients and the ex vacuo hydrocephalus patients, respectively. Fast multiphase MR evaluation of aqueductal CSF flow may help to differentiate patients with different types of hydrocephalus. ER -