Diffusion-weighted imaging in chronic temporal lobe epilepsy: sensitivity analysis of the b-value and ability to detect hippocampal sclerosis

P. M. Gonçalves Pereira; M. Forjaz Secca; C. Ribeiro; P. Evangelista

P. M. Gonçalves Pereira Serviço de Neurorradiologia, Hospital de Egas Moniz
M. Forjaz Secca Ressonância Magnética de Caselas, S.D.I. Lisboa; Dpt. de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
C. Ribeiro Serviço de Neurorradiologia, Hospital de Egas Moniz; Ressonância Magnética de Caselas, S.D.I. Lisboa
P. Evangelista Serviço de Neurorradiologia, Hospital de Egas Moniz; Ressonância Magnética de Caselas, S.D.I. Lisboa

Keywords: Hippocampal sclerosis, Temporal lobe epilepsy, Epilepsy, Magnetic resonance, Chemical-shift imaging

Abstract

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common lesion encountered in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).Studies with quantitative magnetic resonance (MRI) and chemical-shift imaging (CSI) have found wide spread structural and metabolic changes along the entire length of the hippocampus. The aim of this study was to investigate diffusion changes interictally in patients with chronic TLE carrying structural/metabolic pathological changes in the hippocampus and to test the hypothesis that HS would be associated with abnormalities of diffusion.