IMAGING WHITE-MATTER TRACTS AND NUCLEI OF THE HYPOTHALAMUS - AN MR ANATOMIC COMPARATIVE-STUDY

PURPOSE: To evaluate the MR appearance of the hypothalamus and its ass ociated white matter tracts. METHODS: Coronel and sagittal spin-echo i mages were obtained in cadaver brains. Gross and histologic sections w ere made of the cadaver brains. The size, shape, signal intensity, cou rse, and pattern of structures in the hypothalamic region were identif ied in MR images by comparison with the anatomic sections. RESULTS: Th e mamillary bodies, paraventricular zone of hypothalamic nuclei, postc ommissural fornix, mamillothalamic fasciculus, and anterior commissure were identified on the MR images. CONCLUSION: This study suggests tha t, with MR imaging of sufficiently high resolution, some of the tracts and nuclei in the hypothalamus may be identified.