The prevalence and distribution of white-matter changes on different MRI pulse sequences in a post-stroke cohort.
No uniform criteria currently exist for rating white-matter (WM) high-signal foci on MRI. Ratings are based on descriptive terms, different pulse sequences and different WM areas. Reports on the prevalence and clinical correlates of high-signal foci have been contradictory. We wanted to examine the contribution of the pulse sequence and WM area on rating WM changes. We analysed WM changes separately on T2-, protondensity (PD)- and T1-weighted images in periventricular, subcortical, watershed area and deep WM. The difference between T2- and PD-weighted images was significant for frontal caps, counting small foci or analysing subcortical changes. T1-weighted images showed significantly less change, but the number of foci detected was greater than previously thought. The prevalence of WM high-signal foci was greatest in the watershed zone and smallest in the subcortical area. There was a significant correlation between foci in different areas.
Mäntylä
R
R
Department of Radiology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 4, FIN-00290 Helsinki, Finland. riitta.mantyla@helsinki.fi
Aronen
H J
HJ
Salonen
O
O
Korpelainen
M
M
Peltonen
T
T
Standertskjöld-Nordenstam
C
C
Erkinjuntti
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*