title: Measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient in paediatric mitochondrial encephalopathy cases and a comparison of parenchymal changes associated with the disease using follow-up diffusion coefficient measurements.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reveal the contribution of MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to the diagnosis of mitochondrial encephalopathy (ME) and to evaluate the parenchymal changes associated with this disease in the involved parenchymal areas using the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients who had undergone MRI and DWI analysis with a pre-diagnosis of neurometabolic disease, and who were subsequently diagnosed with ME in laboratory and/or genetic studies, were included in our study. ADC values were compared with a control group composed of 20 patients of similar age with normal brains. Evaluations involved measurements made in 20 different areas determined on the ADC map. The dominance or contribution of ADC coefficient measurements to the conventional sequences was compared with the controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first examination, an increase in both diffusion and ADC values was detected in six cases and diffusion restriction and a decrease in ADC values in three patients. While an increase in both diffusion and ADC values was demonstrated in four cases, there was diffusion restriction and a decrease in ADC values in three cases in the control examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DWI provides information that complements conventional MRI sequences in the diagnosis of ME.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: afatmauysal@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: handan.cakmakci@deu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cakmakçı
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: ulucyis@deu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Uluç
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yiş
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Medical Statistics, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: hulyaellidokuz@deu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ellidokuz
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: aysesemrahiz@deu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Ayşe Semra
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hız
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017237:Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Brain ADC; Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mitochondrial encephalopathy