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P2–339: Is magnetic resonance imaging essential in dementia diagnosis?
Author(s) -
Yavuz Burcu B.,
Halil Meltem,
Cankurtaran Mustafa,
Ulger Zekeriya,
Oguz Kader K.,
Ariogul Servet
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2006.05.1179
Subject(s) - dementia , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , vascular dementia , neuroimaging , differential diagnosis , atrophy , neurological examination , radiology , disease , pediatrics , pathology , psychiatry
Background: Neuroimaging, especially magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is an important diagnostic tool in dementia. It is useful not only for the differential diagnosis, but also for imaging the specific findings for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objective(s): The aim of this study was to find out if MR imaging should be performed on all patients with dementia diagnosis. We aimed to examine the MR imaging findings in dementia and to find out the intracranial pathologies that may lead to dementia. Methods: Patients admitted to our outpatient clinic for comprehensive geriatric assessment for the last year were examined. After neuropsychiatric assessment, MMSE and clock drawing tests were performed, DSM-IV criteria, NINCSDS-ARDRA criteria and Hachinski Ischemic score were used for dementia, AD and vascular dementia (VD) diagnosis. Thirty patients with dementia diagnosis who had undergone MR imaging were enrolled in the study. Results: Mean age of the patients was 72.8 5.6. Ten (33.3%) of the patients were male and 20 (66.7%) were female. After neuropsychiatric assessment and according to DSM-IV criteria 25 patients got AD diagnosis. VD was diagnosed in 5 patients. Neurological examination of each patient was normal. Chronic ischemic lesions were present in 78.3% of AD and in 80% of VD; cerebral atrophy was present in 76% of AD and 100% of VD; ventricular enlargement was present in 68.2% of AD and 60% of VD patients. In 4 patients with suspected AD diagnosis with normal neurological examination, brain tumor was detected. First one was a 2 cm tumor on frontal lobe, one was 2 masses on the temporoparietal region, third one was metastatic multiple masses, and the last one was a 3 cm mass on the temporoparietal region. Of 1 patient with VD diagnosis hemorrhage on pons was detected. Conclusions: Intracranial pathologies and brain tumors can be presented with cognitive dysfunction. Within the 30 patients with cognitive dysfunction and normal neurological examination, brain tumors and hemorrhage could be detected by MR imaging. We conclude that MR imaging should be performed on every patient with cognitive dysfunction in order to detect intracranial pathologies.