Quantitative evaluation of brain involvement in ataxia telangiectasia by diffusion weighted MR imaging

To evaluate the value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in diagnosing ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and to investigate the spatial distribution of cerebral microstructural changes caused by the disease.

Six AT patients (9-13 years) and nine healthy control subjects were examined on 1.5 T scanner. In addition to conventional MR images, DWI were performed with a fat suppressed, multishot spin echo EPI sequence using B values of 0, 500 and 1000 s/mm2. Mean ADC values were measured from 16 different supra and infratentorial location. The difference between controls and AT patients regarding ADC values, and the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of them in discrimination were analyzed with t-tests, logistic regression analysis, ANOVA and ROC curves.

Conventional images of the controls were normal. In AT patients, the only conventional MR abnormality was cerebellar atrophy. The difference between both groups regarding mean ADC values was not significant for any of the cerebral structures. In contrary to cerebrum, cerebellar mean ADC values of patients and controls were statistically different (p < 0.011-0.0001). Patients and controls were classified with 100% accuracy using ADC values of cerebellar white matter and cortex together (p < 0.016). The cut-off ADC value (0.699 mm2/s) for middle cerebellar cortex had produced highest (100%) sensitivity and specificity. There was a difference between superior, middle and inferior cerebellar cortex regarding ADC values (p < 0.026). Superior cerebellar cortex (0.987+/-0.1956 mm2/s) had higher ADC values than the middle and inferior cerebellar cortex.

DWI provides a supplementary and objective imaging finding in AT. This finding is highly accurate in the radiological discrimination of healthy subjects and AT. Our findings also implicate that AT causes a diffuse atrophy and mostly affects superior part of the cortex.