title: Correlation between pathology and neuromelanin MR imaging in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Direct correlation between neuropathological findings and postmortem neuromelanin MR imaging (NmMRI) was performed in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) to clarify the pathological background of the signal changes in normal, Parkinson's disease (PD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  NmMRI of 10 % formalin-fixed autopsied midbrains was performed in three cases (normal control, DLB, and PD) with a 3T imaging system, using a 3D gradient echo T1-weighted sequence with a magnetization transfer contrast pulse. Neuropathological examinations of the midbrains were performed, and the density of neuromelanin-positive neurons (number per square millimeter) was determined. The extent of iron deposition in the midbrain was also evaluated using ferritin immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we directly correlated the contrast signal ratio in the SNc and the density of neuromelanin-containing neurons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diffuse hyperintense areas in the SNc reflected well-preserved neuromelanin-containing neurons in the normal control case, whereas an iso-intense area in the SNc showed severe loss of neuromelanin-containing neurons in the DLB and PD cases. Increased signal intensity in the SNc was apparently not influenced by iron deposition. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between signal intensity and the density of neuromelanin-containing neurons was seen in the SNc.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the direct correlation between postportem NmMRI and neuropathological findings, signal intensity in the SNc is closely related to the quantity of neuromelanin-containing neurons but is not influenced by iron deposition.
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan. sskitao@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital, 730 Ezu, Tottori, Tottori, 680-0901, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsusue
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaminou
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropathology, Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Division of Organ Pathology, Department of Microbiology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008543:Melanins; C014121:neuromelanin; D007501:Iron