MR spectroscopic pulvinar sign in a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

D Galanaud; D Dormont; D Grabli; P Charles; J J Hauw; C Lubetzki; J P Brandel; C Marsault; P J Cozzone

MR spectroscopic pulvinar sign in a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

J Neuroradiol. 2002 Dec;29(4):285-7.

Authors

D Galanaud¹, D Dormont, D Grabli, P Charles, J J Hauw, C Lubetzki, J P Brandel, C Marsault, P J Cozzone

Affiliation

¹ Department of Neuroradiology, Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale CNRS UMR 6612, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille. galanaud@dat.org

PMID: 12538948

Abstract

We report MR spectroscopic findings in a patient hospitalized with biopsy-proven variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease. N-acetyl aspartate was markedly decreased in the postero-medial part of the thalami (pulvinar) but was not diminished in the parieto-occipital white matter and cortical grey matter. These observations, which are in accordance with the pathological findings in this disease, suggest that MR spectroscopy, a highly sensitive method for the detection of subtle brain metabolic dysfunction, could be of interest for the diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic follow-up of vCJD.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
Aspartic Acid / analysis
Aspartic Acid / metabolism
Biopsy
Case-Control Studies
Choline / analysis
Choline / metabolism
Creatine / analysis
Creatine / metabolism
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / diagnosis*
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / metabolism*
Female
Humans
Inositol / analysis
Inositol / metabolism
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods*
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / standards
Phosphocreatine / analysis
Phosphocreatine / metabolism
Prognosis
Pulvinar / chemistry*
Pulvinar / metabolism*
Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

Phosphocreatine
Aspartic Acid
Inositol
N-acetylaspartate
Creatine
Choline