KALLMANN SYNDROME - MR EVALUATION OF OLFACTORY SYSTEM

PURPOSE: To describe the MR appearance of the olfactory bulbs and trac ts and temporal lobes in patients with Kallmann syndrome, a disorder c haracterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia. METHODS: Hi gh-resolution MR scans with a surface coil placed over the nasion were performed in two patients with Kallmann syndrome. Coronal 3-mm thick contiguous sections were obtained through the olfactory bulbs and trac ts. MR scans included volumetric analysis of the bulbs, tracts, tempor al lobes, and hippocampi. RESULTS: No olfactory bulbs or tracts could be identified in patients with Kallmann syndrome. In comparison, the o lfactory bulbs and tracts were identifiable in seven healthy volunteer s. The temporal lobe and hippocampal volumes were comparable between c ontrol subjects and Kallmann patients. CONCLUSIONS: High-resolution su rface-coil MR can identify the absence of olfactory bulbs and tracts i n patients with Kallmann syndrome. Normal olfactory bulbs and tracts a re easily discerned with surface-coil imaging.