title: Globus pallidus alterations and brain atrophy in liver cirrhosis patients with encephalopathy: an MR imaging study.
abstract: Brain magnetic resonance (MR) was performed in 29 liver cirrhosis patients without (N = 10) and with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) of chronic recurrent (N = 10) and of chronic persistent (N = 9) type. Sixty percent of the patients with chronic recurrent HE and 100% of the patients with chronic persistent HE showed a bilateral and symmetrical hyperintensity of the globus pallidus in the T1-weighted images while the T2-weighted images were normal, suggesting the possibility of the accumulation of a paramagnetic compound in this brain area during HE. Other findings of the study were evidence of brain atrophy of mild or moderate degree in 70% of patients with chronic recurrent HE and in 77% with chronic persistent HE and patients with liver cirrhosis without HE appeared normal on MR examination.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica III dell'Universitá di Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zeneroli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cioni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crisi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vezzelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ventura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000473:pathology; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence