title: Diffusion-weighted imaging in Sydenham's chorea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine of caudate nucleus changes in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 13 children (four males and nine females) with history of Sydenham's chorea and 13 healthy controls were included in to the study. Diffusion cranial magnetic resonance imaging was performed in all subjects before prednisone treatment. Prednisone (2 mg/kg/day, maximum dose 60 mg/day) was used during 4 weeks and then progressively discontinued (20 % of the initial dose was reduced at each 5 days). Two months later, magnetic resonance imaging was repeated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before and after 8 weeks of prednisone treatment, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated for right and left caudate nucleus. The ADC values were significantly different before treatment and 2 months after imaging. For the left caudate nucleus, ADC values before treatment (0.69 ± 0.038) were significantly lower than after treatment (0.95 ± 0.04). For the right caudate nucleus, ADC values before treatment (0.72 ± 0.06 × 10(-3)) were significantly lower than after treatment (0.93 ± 0.04 × 10(-3)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although cranial and caudate nucleus magnetic resonance imaging findings were normal, the low ADC value findings in our study support the autoimmune inflammation in basal ganglia of Sydenham's chorea.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. hakgumus@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gumus
authors.forename: Gulsum
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gumus
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Per
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yikilmaz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canpolat
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poyrazoglu
authors.forename: Nazmi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002819:Chorea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone