title: Early- and late-state subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: chemical shift imaging and single-voxel MR spectroscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, progressive, inflammatory neurodegenerative disease. Our aim was to determine the metabolic abnormalities of brain in early- and late-stage SSPE by using MR spectroscopy and to assess areas of involvement in the early stages when MR imaging findings were normal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with stage II (n = 3) or III (n = 3) SSPE and 10 healthy, age-matched children underwent MR imaging, multivoxel MR spectroscopy, and short-echo single-voxel MR spectroscopy (SVS). Areas of involvement in the brain were determined with chemical shift imaging. For SVS, 2 x 2 x 2-cm voxels were placed in the frontal subcortical white matter (FSWM) and parieto-occipital white matter (POWM). N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr), choline (Cho)/Cr, myo-inositol (Ins)/Cr, and NAA/Cho ratios were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparisons of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, Ins/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios between patients and control subjects showed significant differences in FSWM and POWM (P <.01). In patients with SSPE, NAA/Cr ratios in POWM were significantly less than those in FSWM (P <.01). NAA/Cr ratios in patients with stage II SSPE and those in the control group were not significantly different; this may reflect the absence of neuronal loss. Decreased NAA/Cr, increased Cho/Cr and Ins/Cr ratios, and increased lactate and lipid peaks were found in patients with stage III SSPE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MR spectroscopy showed findings suggestive of inflammation in stage II and findings of demyelination, gliosis, cellular necrosis, and anaerobic metabolism in stage III. MR spectroscopy could be a promising technique for early diagnosis and treatment planning in cases of SSPE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Inonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alpay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Kaya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sarac
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kutlu
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yakinci
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sigirci
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baysal
mesh_terms: D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline