Diffusion tensor imaging findings of optic radiation in patients with putaminal hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about optic radiation (OR) injury in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We attempted to investigate OR injury in patients with ICH by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).


METHODS
Forty-three consecutive patients with putaminal hemorrhage and 40 normal healthy control subjects were recruited. DTI data were acquired at the beginning of rehabilitation (average 34 days after onset). DTI-Studio software was used to reconstruct the OR. Fractional anisotropies (FA) and fiber numbers of the ORs were measured. FA values and fiber numbers of affected ORs were described as abnormal when they were more than 2.5 SD lower than those of normal controls.


RESULTS
Thirty (70%) of the 43 patients showed an OR abnormality in the affected hemisphere. In 13 (30%) patients, the affected OR was disrupted or nonreconstructable. On the other hand, of the 20 patients with preserved OR integrity, 14 (33%) had a low FA value and 3 (7%) a low FA and fiber number. The other 13 (30%) of the 43 patients had no abnormal OR findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Seventy percent of patients showed any abnormality of OR in the affected hemisphere on DTI. This result suggests that patients with putaminal hemorrhage are at high risk of OR injury.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Taegu, Republic of Korea.
Jeong Pyo
JP
Seo
Byung Yeon
BY
Choi
Chul Hoon
CH
Chang
Young Jin
YJ
Jung
Woo Mok
WM
Byun
Seong Ho
SH
Kim
Yong-Hyun
YH
Kwon
Sung Ho
SH
Jang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016880:Anisotropy; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D020146:Putaminal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric