Zusammenfassung
Purpose: To investigate whether diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides additional information about the periventricular white matter for the assessment of hydrocephalus. Materials and Methods: Sixteen MRI examinations (11 with acutely increased cerebral pressure, 5 without symptoms) on 15 patients with hydrocephalus (4 patients with communicating ...
Zusammenfassung
Purpose: To investigate whether diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides additional information about the periventricular white matter for the assessment of hydrocephalus. Materials and Methods: Sixteen MRI examinations (11 with acutely increased cerebral pressure, 5 without symptoms) on 15 patients with hydrocephalus (4 patients with communicating hydrocephalus and I I patients with obstructive hydrocephalus) were analyzed. One symptomatic patient subsequently became asymptomatic. We investigated the "apparent diffusion coefficient" (ADC) in the subcortical and periventricular white matter. The ADCs of the study patients were compared with those of a healthy control group. Results: Symptomatic patients with hydrocephalus, 6/11 showed peri-ventricular edema and a significantly higher ADC values in the periventricular region than in the subcortical white macter. 5111 symptomatic patients showed significantly higher ADC values even in the absence of periventricular interstitial edema (both groups contained patients with communicating and obstructive hydrocephalus). All 5 asymptomatic patients with hydrocephalus did not have a significantly higher ADC values in the periventricular region. Conclusion: In patients with hydrocephalus and acutely increased cerebral pressure. DWI showed a significantly hi-her ADC values in the periventricular region even without visible interstitial edema on conventional MRI sequences.