Incidental evidence of hypointensity in brain grey nuclei on routine MR imaging: when to suspect a neurodegenerative disorder?

Deep grey nuclei of the human brain accumulate minerals both in aging and in several neurodegenerative diseases. Mineral deposition produces a shortening of the transverse relaxation time which causes hypointensity on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The physician often has difficulties in determini...

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Veröffentlicht in:Neurological sciences Jg. 43; H. 1; S. 643 - 650
Hauptverfasser: Morelli, Maurizio, Quattrone, Andrea, Arabia, Gennarina, Vescio, Basilio, Vaccaro, Maria Grazia, Mechelli, Alessandro, Rocca, Federico, Gambardella, Antonio, Quattrone, Aldo
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.01.2022
Springer Nature B.V
Schlagworte:
Adult
Aged
Aging
Brain - diagnostic imaging
Caudate nucleus
Dentate nucleus
Female
Geriatrics
Globus pallidus
Gray Matter
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Minerals
Neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Neuroimaging
Neurology
Neuroradiology
Neurosciences
Neurosurgery
Original Article
Psychiatry
Putamen
Putamen - diagnostic imaging
Thalamus
Young Adult
Aging
Healthy subjects
MR imaging
Deep grey nuclei
T2 gradient-echo hypointensity
ISSN:1590-1874, 1590-3478, 1590-3478
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Zusammenfassung:Deep grey nuclei of the human brain accumulate minerals both in aging and in several neurodegenerative diseases. Mineral deposition produces a shortening of the transverse relaxation time which causes hypointensity on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The physician often has difficulties in determining whether the incidental hypointensity of grey nuclei seen on MR images is related to aging or neurodegenerative pathology. We investigated the hypointensity patterns in globus pallidus, putamen, caudate nucleus, thalamus and dentate nucleus of 217 healthy subjects (ages, 20-79 years; men/women, 104/113) using 3T MR imaging. Hypointensity was detected more frequently in globus pallidus (35.5%) than in dentate nucleus (32.7%) and putamen (7.8%). A consistent effect of aging on hypointensity ( p < 0.001) of these grey nuclei was evident. Putaminal hypointensity appeared only in elderly subjects whereas we did not find hypointensity in the caudate nucleus and thalamus of any subject. In conclusion, the evidence of hypointensity in the caudate nucleus and thalamus at any age or hypointensity in the putamen seen in young subjects should prompt the clinician to consider a neurodegenerative disease.
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ISSN:1590-1874
1590-3478
1590-3478
DOI:10.1007/s10072-021-05292-1