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Sodium MRI of T1 High Signal Intensity in the Dentate Nucleus due to Gadolinium Deposition in Multiple Sclerosis
Author(s) -
Eisele Philipp,
Konstandin Simon,
Szabo Kristina,
Ong Melissa,
Zöllner Frank,
Schad Lothar R.,
Schoenberg Stefan O.,
Gass Achim
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/jon.12448
Subject(s) - dentate nucleus , medicine , gadolinium , multiple sclerosis , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear medicine , sodium , pons , radiology , pathology , cerebellum , chemistry , psychiatry , organic chemistry
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Recently, several studies reported increased signal intensity (SI) of the dentate nucleus (DN) on unenhanced T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a possible consequence of multiple applications of gadolinium‐based contrast agents. The aim of this study was to investigate with sodium ( 23 Na) MRI possible tissue abnormalities of the DN in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. METHODS Sodium and conventional MRI were performed on a clinical 3T scanner. Total sodium concentrations (TSCs) of the DN, as well as DN‐to‐pons and DN‐to‐cerebellum SI ratios on unenhanced T1‐weighted MRI were calculated. RESULTS A total of 18 subjects (6/18 normal controls, 12/18 MS patients [6/12 with T1 hyperintense DN]) were investigated. There was no significant difference of TSC values of the DN in MS patients with a T1‐hyperintense DN (33.70 ± 2.14 mM) compared to MS patients without those signal abnormalities (33.29 ± 1.67 mM; P = .67) or to healthy controls (33.14 ± 1.12; P = .32). CONCLUSIONS Normal sodium signal in the T1‐hyperintense DN in MS patients may point to relative tissue integrity despite gadolinium deposition in this area.