Detection of cortical malformations using enhanced synthetic contrast images derived from quantitative T1 maps.
NMR Biomed
; 33(2): e4203, 2020 02.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31797463
ABSTRACT
The detection of cortical malformations in conventional MR images can be challenging. Prominent examples are focal cortical dysplasias (FCD), the most common cause of drug-resistant focal epilepsy. The two main MRI hallmarks of cortical malformations are increased cortical thickness and blurring of the gray (GM) and white matter (WM) junction. The purpose of this study was to derive synthetic anatomies from quantitative T1 maps for the improved display of the above imaging characteristics in individual patients. On the basis of a T1 map, a mask comprising pixels with T1 values characteristic for GM is created from which the local cortical extent (CE) is determined. The local smoothness (SM) of the GM-WM junctions is derived from the T1 gradient. For display of cortical malformations, the resulting CE and SM maps serve to enhance local intensities in synthetic double inversion recovery (DIR) images calculated from the T1 map. The resulting CE- and/or SM-enhanced DIR images appear hyperintense at the site of cortical malformations, thus facilitating FCD detection in epilepsy patients. However, false positives may arise in areas with naturally elevated CE and/or SM, such as large GM structures and perivascular spaces. In summary, the proposed method facilitates the detection of cortical abnormalities such as cortical thickening and blurring of the GM-WM junction which are typical FCD markers. Still, subject motion artifacts, perivascular spaces, and large normal GM structures may also yield signal hyperintensity in the enhanced synthetic DIR images, requiring careful comparison with clinical MR images by an experienced neuroradiologist to exclude false positives.
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Texto completo:
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador
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Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética
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Meios de Contraste
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Malformações do Desenvolvimento Cortical
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
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Diagnostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article