DIFFUSION WEIGHTED IMAGING OF MIDBRAIN HYPERINTENSITY AND ITS CLINICAL CORRELATION

Background & Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive and specific technique for diagnosing disorders of the brainstem, midbrain in particular. Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) is the cornerstone in assessing midbrain infarction. Entities visible in the midbrain are highly diverse in their natures as well as treatment and prognosis and they can often pose a challenge for radiologists. The purpose of this study is to assess the brainstem hyperintensities & correlate clinically before arriving at a final diagnosis. (1) 100 patients (Males: 57, Females: 43) with midbrain hyperintensity were retrospectiv Materials And Methods: ely analysed. DWI was obtained with the b-values 0 and 1000s/mm² on 1.5 Tesla Siemens Magnetom Avanto MRI machine. On Results: assessing MRI Brain, all the 100 patients showed brainstem hyperintensity on diffusion weighted (DWI) sequences with restriction on corresponding ADC sequences. Out of these, only 3 patients, showed clinical signs specific for midbrain infarction (i.e.- Internuclear ophthalmoplegia & cerebellar signs.) Rest 97 patients had no clinical features specific for midbrain infarction but showed brainstem hyperintensity on diffusion weighted (DWI) sequences with restriction on corresponding ADC sequences. Diffusion restriction in midbrain should be conside Conclusion: red significant only if the patient shows clinical features specific for midbrain infarction, if not it should be overlooked as if may be due to other reasons.