ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of the zona incerta (ZI) has shown promising results for medication-refractory neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). The success of the intervention is indispensably dependent on the reliable visualisation of the ZI. The aim of the study was to evaluate different promising new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods at 3.0 Tesla for pre-stereotactic visualisation of the ZI using a standard installation the protocol. METHODS: MRI of nine healthy volunteers was acquired (T1-MPRAGE, T2-FLAIR, T2*-FLASH2D, T2-SPACE and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI). Image quality and visualisation of the ZI for each sequence were analysed independently by two neuroradiologists using a 6-point scale. For T2*-FLASH2D the axial, coronal and sagittal planes were compared. The delineation of the ZI versus the internal capsule, the subthalamic nucleus and the pallidofugal fibres was evaluated in all sequences and compared to T2-FLAIR using a paired t-test. Inter-rater reliability, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR), and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) for the ZI were computed. For illustration, coronal T2*-FLASH2D images were co-registered with the corresponding section schema of the Schaltenbrand-Wahren stereotactic atlas. RESULTS: Only the rostral part of the ZI (rZI) could be identified. The rZI was best and reliably visualised in T2*-FLASH2D (particularly coronal orientation; p < 0.05). No major artifacts in the rZI were observed in any of the sequences. SWI, T2-SPACE, and T2*-FLASH imaging offered significant higher CNR values for the rZI compared to T2-FLAIR imaging using standard parameters. The co-registration of the coronal T2*-FLASH2D images projected the ZI clearly into the boundaries of the anatomical sections. CONCLUSIONS: The delineation of the rZI is best possible in T2*-FLASH2D (particularly coronal view) using a standard installation protocol at 3.0 T. The caudal ZI could not be discerned in any of the sequences.
Subject(s)
Deep Brain Stimulation/methods , Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional/methods , Subthalamus/anatomy & histology , Adult , Humans , Male , Observer Variation , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Subthalamus/surgeryABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim was to assess the feasibility of dual-energy computed tomography (DE-CT) for detection of peri-interventional re-bleeding in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (re-SAH). METHODS: For in vitro-analyses DE-CT of partially clotted blood intermixed with fresh blood containing contrast agent was performed. In a clinical setting, 4 patients routinely underwent DE-CT after suspected peri-interventional re-SAH. DE-CT source data images, iodine maps and virtual non-contrast images (VNC) were analyzed and regions-of-interest (ROI) measurements of density values were performed. RESULTS: In vitro experiments demonstrated the feasibility of DE-CT to discriminate between blood with and without contrast agent. In all patients peri-interventional re-SAH was confirmed by detection of extravasated iodine within the subarachnoid spaces in post-interventional DE-CT. Dual-energy CT allowed the discrimination of old blood clots of the initial SAH and blood originating from peri-interventional re-SAH. After subtraction of the iodine-related high density signal, VNC images optimized the estimation of the true amount of subarachnoid blood. CONCLUSION: Dual-energy CT allows the discrimination and subtraction of blood and iodine mixed within the subarachnoid spaces in patients with peri-interventional re-SAH. It helps to avoid overestimation of SAH after peri-interventional re-bleeding and therefore is a potentially valuable tool in the assessment of peri-interventional re-SAH.
