Hemosiderin Detection inside the Mammillary Bodies Using Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping on Patients with

Yuri Nakamura1, Yasutaka Fushimi1, Takuya Hinoda1

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University.

Insights

Hemorrhage in mammillary bodies is a sign of Wernicke encephalopathy. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) on MRI scans revealed iron deposits in these areas for Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Hemorrhage within the mammillary bodies (MMBs) is a recognized indicator of Wernicke encephalopathy.
  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a neurological disorder often associated with thiamine deficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) in detecting hemosiderin deposition in the mammillary bodies of patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
  • To assess if QSM provides supplementary diagnostic information beyond traditional susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) for WKS.

Main Methods:

  • Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on two patients diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
  • Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) was employed to measure susceptibility values in the mammillary bodies.
  • Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) was also utilized for comparison.

Main Results:

  • QSM demonstrated high susceptibility values in the mammillary bodies of both WKS patients.
  • These high susceptibility values correlated with hemosiderin deposition, indicative of prior hemorrhage.
  • QSM provided quantifiable data on susceptibility, complementing the qualitative findings from SWI.

Conclusions:

  • Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) effectively detects hemosiderin deposition in the mammillary bodies, a key finding in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
  • QSM offers valuable quantitative information that enhances the diagnostic capabilities for WKS, particularly when combined with susceptibility-weighted imaging.

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