PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Manova, E.S.
AU  - Habib, C.A.
AU  - Boikov, A.S.
AU  - Ayaz, M.
AU  - Khan, A.
AU  - Kirsch, W.M.
AU  - Kido, D.K.
AU  - Haacke, E.M.
TI  - Characterizing the Mesencephalon Using Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A1401
DP  - 2009 Mar 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 569--574
VI  - 30
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/30/3/569.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/30/3/569.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2009 Mar 01; 30
AB  - 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.