3-DIMENSIONAL BRAIN VISUALIZATION FOR METACHROMATIC LEUKODYSTROPHY

The basic understanding of many neurogenetic diseases requires study o f the clinical, biochemical, and pathological aspects, To study the pa thological aspects, the organs affected by the disease must be observe d, We have used volume visualization techniques to create three-dimens ional (3D) brain images of a patient with late infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The 3D brain images showed clearly, stereograph ically, and non-invasively the intracerebral lesion, This lesion, whic h indicated hyperintensity in magnetic resonance (MR) images, extended throughout the periventricular white matter, The 3D brain images are provided to integrate information, Volumetric ray-casting was useful i n obtaining directly images of the entire brain and in allowing an int uitive understanding of the extension of the lesion in three dimension s and of the extent of the defects in the MLD brain, Isosurfacing faci litated a clear extraction of the lesion located by volumetric ray-cas ting, Each technique used in this study played a role in visualization and their use was complementary. 3D brain images will promote morphol ogical investigation of neurogenetic diseases.