title: A DWI study of the contralateral hemisphere in cerebral hemiatrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebral hemiatrophy (CHA) is a congenital or acquired loss of volume in one hemisphere of the brain. The MR findings of the affected hemisphere have been a subject of many studies, however, the contralateral hemisphere has not been investigated. There is, in fact, an integrity between two hemispheres of the brain through transverse connection fibers. The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in the contralateral hemisphere in CHA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in deep gray and white matter areas in the normal-appearing contralateral hemisphere in 23 patients with CHA, in order to get in vivo information about a possible Wallerian degeneration or microstructural changes. Results were compared with the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal ADC values were encountered in the contralateral hemisphere in all (100%) CHA patients. The difference between the ADC values of gray and white matter in CHA patients and the control group was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal ADC values in the contralateral hemisphere in CHA patients suggests a compensatory mechanism restricting Wallerian degeneration or diffusion alteration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Cumhuriyet University, School of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey. Electronic address: bilgeoztoprak@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bilge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Öztoprak
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Cumhuriyet University, School of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Öztoprak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Cumhuriyet University, School of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cumhuriyet University, School of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burhanettin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Çiğdem
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cumhuriyet University, School of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem Kayım
authors.initials: ÖK
authors.lastname: Yıldız
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014855:Wallerian Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Apparent diffusion coefficient; Cerebral hemiatrophy; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome; Magnetic resonance imaging; Wallerian degeneration