MR Imagings of Chronic Acquired Hepatic Failure

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 13(1); 1995 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1995;13(1): 84-90.

만성 간병변 환자의 뇌 자기공명 영상소견

강경수, 김상윤, 황성희, 고운산, 이현미, 권기한, 이병철

한림대학교 신경과

MR Imagings of Chronic Acquired Hepatic Failure

Kyung Soo Kang, M.D., Sang Yun Kim, M.D., Sung Hee Hwang, M.D., Woon San Ko, M.D., Hyeon Mi Lee, M.D., Ki Han Kwon, M.D., Byung Chyul Lee, M.D.

Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hallym University

Abstract

Neuroimaging of the brain is useful diagnostic evaluation of patients with hepatic encephalopathy msofar as it is able to exclude other causes of abno rmal mental status. Recently, changes of basal ganglia on MRI characteriwd by increased signal mtensity on Tl-weighted images were reported m patients with liver cirrhosis. Signal abnormality involves mainly the globus pallidus and seems to be specific for patients with chronic liver disease. Its pathogenesis and significance are obscure, and no pathological reports have been made. We experienced 3 cases of Chronic acquired hepatic failure whose MRI showed increased signal in-tensity in the basal ganglia on Tl-weighted imaging. Our findings su-ggest that basal ganglia signal abnormality could arise as a marker of brain impairment related to deposition of an unidentified paramagnetic substance or altered intracellular water relaxation