Comparison of 7.0-T T₂*-magnetic resonance imaging of cerebral bleeds in post-mortem brain sections of Alzheimer patients with their neuropathological correlates.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In view of the increasing recognition of cerebral microbleeds (MCBs) with MRI, there is a need to validate their detection in post-mortem brains in patients with cerebrovascular diseases and dementia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Out of 20 post-mortem brains of patients with Alzheimer dementia and with different cerebrovascular lesions, 45 large sections of the cerebral hemispheres, brainstem and cerebellum were submitted to a 7.0-T T₂*-weighted MRI, and afterwards compared to the histological detection of haematomas, MCBs and mini-bleeds (MNBs).

RESULTS:

The sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive value and predictive negative value of the T₂* imaging to detect MCBs and MNBs were excellent for those in the cortico-subcortical regions. There was a significant overestimation of MNBs in the striatum due to iron deposits unrelated to old haemorrhages. Also in the deep white matter, 42% of MNBs were not detected, while 31% of T₂* hyposignals were not due to MNBs but to vessels filled with post-mortem thrombi.

CONCLUSIONS:

When evaluating the 'bleeding load' with 7.0-T T₂*-weighted MRI in post-mortem brain sections of patients with dementia and vascular risk factors, only quantification of small cerebral bleeds in the cortico-subcortical regions is reliable.

• Authors: J De Reuck, F Auger, C Cordonnier, V Deramecourt, N Durieux, F Pasquier, R Bordet, C A Maurage, D Leys
• Journal: Cerebrovascular diseases (Basel, Switzerland) (Cerebrovasc Dis) Vol. 31 Issue 5 Pg. 511-7 ( 2011) ISSN: 1421-9786 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 21422755 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Iron

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Alzheimer Disease (diagnosis, pathology)
• Autopsy
• Brain (pathology)
• Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (pathology)
• Cerebral Arteries (pathology)
• Cerebral Hemorrhage (diagnosis, pathology)
• Cerebrovascular Disorders (pathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Iron (metabolism)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (methods)
• Male
• Paraffin Embedding
• Postmortem Changes
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Risk Factors
• Thromboembolism (pathology)