VASCULAR-PERMEABILITY TO SODIUM FLUORESCEIN IN THE RABBIT CRANIAL NERVE ROOT - POSSIBLE CORRELATION WITH NORMAL CRANIAL NERVE ENHANCEMENT ON GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING
Y. Nakao et al., VASCULAR-PERMEABILITY TO SODIUM FLUORESCEIN IN THE RABBIT CRANIAL NERVE ROOT - POSSIBLE CORRELATION WITH NORMAL CRANIAL NERVE ENHANCEMENT ON GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING, European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology, 251(8), 1994, pp. 457-460
Vascular permeability in cranial nerve roots was examined after intrav
enous injection of sodium fluorescein in the adult rabbit. Fluorescenc
e was observed in the distal nerves through the following portions: in
tracavernous portion of the oculomotor nerve, distal internal auditory
canal segment of the facial nerve, and ganglionic portions of the tri
geminal, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves. In the acoustic nerve, sho
wed fluorescence. No fluorescence was observed in the olfactory or opt
ic nerves. During in vivo gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imagi
ng (Gd-MRI) of two separate animals, trigeminal nerve enhancement was
observed in the region showing fluorescence. Histologically, intense f
luorescence was observed in ganglia and external nerve sheaths of the
cranial nerves showing macroscopic fluorescence. A slight fluorescence
was also seen in endoneurial connective tissue but not observed withi
n the nerve fibers. The results of this study suggest that the physiol
ogical enhancement of human cranial nerves seen on Gd-MRI may correlat
e with vascular permeability.