The use of magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy

We used MRI to investigate the brains of four children ranging from 3 to 10 years of age with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy. T2-weighted imaging revealed characteristic findings of marked cerebellar atrophy and diffuse hyperintensity of the cerebellar cortex. At autopsy, one child had extensive astrogliosis and neuronal loss with shrinkage of the cerebellar cortex, in addition to typical widespread changes of neuroaxonal dystrophy. The characteristic hyperintensity of the cerebellar cortex on T2-weighted imaging probably is secondary to the extensive gliosis and shrinkage of the cerebellar cortex. These cerebellar findings on MRI may permit early diagnosis of infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy.