Articles: brain-pathology.
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Subcortical hyperintensities are easily visualized areas of signal abnormality that are seen on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Characteristically they occur in the white matter of the brain and are more common in elderly people. In depression, little is known of the clinical significance of subcortical hyperintensities or their contribution to the prognosis. ⋯ Total white-matter load has no prognostic value, and although some subcortical regions are associated with poor response, individually they have little specificity. However, a combination of involvement in three areas (basal ganglia, pons, and frontal lobe) is clinically relevant and predicts outcome with great accuracy (91%). Patients with lesions in the basal ganglia and deep white matter had an especially poor response to pharmacotherapy.
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In patients with hepatic cirrhosis, the globus pallidus and putamen show high intensity on T1-weighted MRI. While the causes of this high signal have been thought to include paramagnetic substances, especially manganese, no evidence for this has been presented. Autopsy in four cases of hepatic cirrhosis permitted measurement of metal concentrations in brain and histopathological examination. ⋯ These findings were similar to those in chronic manganese poisoning. On T1-weighted images, copper deposition shows no abnormal intensity. It is therefore inferred that deposition of highly concentrations of manganese may caused high signal on T1-weighted images and nerve cell death in the globus pallidus.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Jul 1997
Comparative StudyAmniotic fluid inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, interleukin-1beta, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha), neonatal brain white matter lesions, and cerebral palsy.
Ultrasonographically detectable neonatal brain white matter lesions are the most important identifiable risk factor for cerebral palsy. Inflammatory cytokines released during the course of intrauterine infections have been implicated in the genesis of brain white matter lesions and subsequent cerebral palsy. This study was undertaken to determine whether fetuses who subsequently were diagnosed to have periventricular brain white matter lesions could be identified by determining the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in the amniotic fluid. ⋯ Infants at risk for development of brain white matter lesions can be identified by the concentrations of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1beta in amniotic fluid. Our findings support the hypothesis that inflammatory cytokines released during the course of intrauterine infection play a role in the genesis of brain white matter lesions.
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Brain Res. Dev. Brain Res. · Jun 1997
Influence of age on the cerebral lesions in an immature rat model of cerebral hypoxia-ischemia: a light microscopic study.
The most frequently used model of neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia consists of a 7-day postnatal rat model with combined common carotid artery ligation and hypoxemia. Neuropathologic studies have shown major differences between this 7-day postnatal rat model and a similar adult model in regard to overall cerebral vulnerability, type and distribution of lesions. It is not clear how and when during animals' development these changes in cerebral vulnerability take place. ⋯ During the first 5 postnatal days relative vulnerability of hippocampal regions is similar, but as the animals' development proceeds and hippocampal vulnerability increases lesions tend to involve specific regions while sparing others. By age 13 postnatal days CA1 and lateral CA3 develop increased vulnerability while medial CA3 and fascia dentata become relatively resistant and by 21 postnatal days adult pattern of CA1 selective vulnerability is approached. The underlying mechanisms for these changes in regional vulnerability to cerebral hypoxia-ischemia during development should be sought in complex regional anatomic, functional, and metabolic alterations that take place as brain matures.
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Pediatric radiology · Jun 1997
Comparative StudyFast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging of the brain: a comparison of multi-shot echo-planar and fast spin-echo techniques.
To evaluate fast spin-echo and multi-shot echo-planar fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences in paediatric brain imaging. ⋯ Fast FLAIR techniques are complementary to fast spin-echo T2-weighted sequences in imaging of the paediatric brain. We find that the fast spin-echo FLAIR sequence is preferable to the multi-shot echo-planar technique.