Cerebral diffusion tensor images in children with tuberous sclerosis: a preliminary report.
BACKGROUND
In tuberous sclerosis (TS), tubers usually involve the white matter. Diffusion tensor (DT) images are used to demonstrate white-matter tracts.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the changes in DT indices in supratentorial tubers and associated changes in the white-matter tracts adjacent to tubers in patients with TS.


METHODS
The DT imaging indices, including first, second and third eigenvalues (EVs), apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), and fractional anisotropy (FA) in the white-matter lesions of tubers, were assessed in seven patients with TS exhibiting developmental delay and compared with controls.


RESULTS
EV1, EV2, EV3, ADC and FA of the white-matter lesions of tubers were significantly different from contralateral unremarkable regions of the brain and from controls (P<0.05). The number of frontal and parietal tubers was significantly negatively correlated with EV1 of the superior longitudinal fasciculi of TS patients (r=-0.60, P =0.04). In addition, TS patients had significantly larger ADCs in the corona radiata and sagittal stratum than the control subjects. EV3s of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and sagittal stratum were significantly more increased in the TS patients than in the control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
EV1, EV2, EV3, ADC and FA maps are potential tools for demonstrating cerebral white-matter changes owing to TS.
Peng
Steven Shinn-Forng
SS
Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 100 Taiwan. e510011@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw
Lee
Wang-Tso
WT
Wang
Yao Hung
YH
Huang
Kou-Mou
KM
D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014402:Tuberous Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*