The study of visual pathway of gloucoma patients with DTI / 实用放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the microstructural characteristics of white matter fiber tracts of visual pathways using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)in the patients with primary glaucoma.Methods Twenty patients with primary bilateral glaucoma and 30 nor-mal adults were recruited and scanned with visual pathways magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)and DTI,obtaining T1 FLAIR ima-ges and directionally encoded color (DEC)images.On DEC images,ROIs were put in the anterior,middle and posterior part of bi-lateral optic nerve,optic tract and optic radiation,to calculate the average FA and MD value of each region.Results T1 FLAIR and DEC images could clearly show the optic nerve,optic tract and optic radiation.In patients with glaucoma,the FA values of optic nerve,optic tract and optic radiation were0.372±0.040,0.340±0.036,0.31 5±0.026,while the MD values were1.760±0.1 1, 1.831±0.09,1.927±0.10.The FA values of optic nerve,optic tract and optic radiation of normal adults were0.538 ±0.073, 0.460±0.082,0.455±0.083,whilst the MD values were0.995 ±0.27,1.312 ±0.40,1.347 ±0.37.Compared with the normal controls,FA values of all parts are deceased whereas the MD values of all parts are increased in patients.Conclusion Glaucoma is a central nervous system disease involving the whole visual pathways.Use DTI can evaluate the microstructural characteristics of white matter fiber tracts of visual pathways in the patients with glaucoma.