[Clinical significance of pontine high signals identified on magnetic resonance imaging].
Spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated to 530 cases in order to investigate the clinical, significance of pontine high signals. The subjects comprised 109 cases of pontine infarction with high signal on T2-weighted image and low signal on T1-weighted image (PI group), 145 of pontine high signal with high signal on T2-weighted image but normal signal on T1-weighted image (PH group) and 276 of age-matched control without abnormality either on T1 or T2-weighted images (AC group). Subjective complaints such as vertigo-dizziness were more frequent in the PH group than in the PI group. In both PI and PH groups, periventricular hyperintensity as well as subcortical high signals in the supratentorium were more severe than in the AC group. These degrees were higher in the PI group than in the PH group. In conclusion, PH as well as PI may result from diffuse arteriosclerosis and PH is considered to be an early finding of pontine ischemia.
Watanabe
M
M
Department of Neurology, Nagoya University School of Medicine.
Takahashi
A
A
Arahata
Y
Y
Motegi
Y
Y
Furuse
M
M
D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011149:Pons / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*