The cerebellum: 3. Anatomic-MR correlation in the coronal plane

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Coronal views in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer unique perspectives for brain anatomy.
• The cerebellum's complex structure presents challenges for detailed visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate thin coronal MRI scans of the cerebellum with myelin-stained sections.
• To evaluate the utility of coronal MRI for mapping cerebellar anatomy and identifying hemispheric differences.

Main Methods:

• Acquisition of thin (5-mm) coronal 1.5-T MRI scans in human brain specimens and normal volunteers.
• Correlation of MRI findings with myelin-stained microtomic sections of cerebellar specimens.
• Utilized proton-density, T1, and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences.

Main Results:

• Coronal MRI clearly depicts white matter tracts and fissures oriented perpendicularly to the imaging plane, providing excellent gray-white matter contrast.
• T1-weighted and T2-weighted images effectively show cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-parenchyma contrast.
• Side-to-side comparison of cerebellar hemispheres is facilitated, though some oblique structures and vermian details may be obscured by volume averaging.

Conclusions:

• Coronal MRI provides excellent visualization of specific cerebellar white matter tracts and fissures, facilitating detailed anatomical mapping.
• The coronal view is advantageous for comparing cerebellar hemispheres and identifying morphologic abnormalities.
• This technique holds significant potential for identifying, localizing, and quantifying normal and abnormal cerebellar differences.