title: [Magnetic resonance imaging findings of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy].
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was evaluated in 12 HAM (HTLV-I-associated myelopathy) patients (4 males and 8 females, mean age of 54 yrs) and compared with 36 non-HAM controls (16 males and 20 females mean age of 52 yrs). MRI of the brain was performed using a 0.5 Tesla superconducting unit. Imaging in all patients was done with the long spin echo (TR = 2,000msec, TE = 100msec) sequences, and 10mm contiguous axial slices of the entire brain were obtained in all cases. Except for two cases, MRI of the brain was abnormal in 10 (83%) HAM patients, while in controls, 18 (50%) cases were abnormal. The abnormalities were high intensity lesions through SE 2000/100 sequences (T2 weighed image), and consisted of small isolated hemisphere lesions in 9 patients, periventricular changes in 9 patients, bilateral thalamic lesions in 2 patients and pontine lesions in 3 patients. We found that the factor of age was very important. In patients with ages below 59 yrs, 6 of 8 HAM patients (75%) had abnormalities, while in control cases, 6 of 23 (23%) had abnormalities in periventricular area. And in isolated hemisphere, 6 of 8 HAM patients (75%) had abnormalities, while in control cases, 3 of 23 (13%) had abnormalities. On the other hand, in patients with ages over 60 yrs, 3 of 4 (75%) HAM patients had abnormalities in periventlicular area, while in controls, 10 of 13 cases (77%) had abnormalities, and in isolated hemisphere, 3 of 4 (75%) HAM patients had abnormalities, and in controls, 10 of 13 cases (77%) had abnormalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Une
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osame
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology