J. Laubenberger et al., HIV-RELATED METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES IN THE BRAIN - DEPICTION WITH PROTON MR SPECTROSCOPY WITH SHORT ECHO TIMES, Radiology, 199(3), 1996, pp. 805-810
PURPOSE: To analyze brain metabolite changes in human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)-positive neurologically asymptomatic patients and patient
s with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia complex (ADC
). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve ADC patients, 11 HIV-positive asympto
matic patients, and 10 healthy control subjects underwent magnetic res
onance (MR) imaging and proton MR spectroscopy with short echo times.
Changes in N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myoinositol (MI),
and creatine (Cr) were presented as ratios with Cr as the reference. R
ESULTS: Statistically significant (P < .05) differences were noted. In
ADC patients, all with MR findings of brain atrophy and diffuse white
matter disease, NA/Cr decreased (white matter, -31.8%; gray matter, -
22.3%), MI/Cr increased (white matter, +42.5%; gray matter, +51.8%), a
nd Cho/Cr increased (white matter, +20.6%; gray matter, +51.7%) compar
ed with healthy control subjects. In HIV-positive asymptomatic patient
s, NA/Cr decreased slightly (white matter, -6.9%; gray matter, -5.1%),
MI/Cr increased slightly (white matter, +13.7%; gray matter, +10.7%),
and Cho/Cr did not change. CONCLUSION: ADC has a uniform pathologic m
etabolic pattern that affects NAA, MI, and Cho. Proton MR spectroscopy
with short echo times helps detect early abnormalities in clinically
asymptomatic patients.