Brain perfusion MRI findings in patients with Behcet's disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Behcet's disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder.
• Neurological involvement (Neuro-Behcet, NBD) significantly impacts patient prognosis.
• Early detection of brain involvement in BD is crucial for timely management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate brain perfusion MRI (pMRI) changes in patients with Behcet's disease.
• To differentiate between BD with and without neurological involvement using pMRI.
• To assess the sensitivity of pMRI in detecting cerebral involvement in BD.

Main Methods:

• 34 BD patients and 16 healthy controls underwent pMRI.
• Patients were categorized into NBD (n=12) and BD without neurological involvement (n=22).
• Perfusion parameters including MTT, TTP, rCBV, and rCBF were analyzed and compared across groups.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in Mean Transit Time (MTT) and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were observed in the pons and parietal cortex between NBD and non-neurological BD groups.
• Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) increased in the cerebral pedicle in the NBD group compared to others.
• Prolonged MTT and decreased rCBF were noted in the temporal lobe white matter for both BD groups.

Conclusions:

• Brain pMRI is highly sensitive for detecting cerebral involvement in Behcet's disease.
• pMRI aids in the clinical diagnosis of Neuro-Behcet, particularly in cases with subtle or absent conventional MRI findings.
• Perfusion parameters can help distinguish neurological involvement in BD.