J. Laubenberger et al., CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS OF PROTON MAGNETIC- RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY OF THE BRAIN, RoFo. Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Rontgenstrahlen und der neuenbildgebenden Verfahren, 168(6), 1998, pp. 539-549
Citations number
58
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology,Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Journal title
RoFo. Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Rontgenstrahlen und der neuenbildgebenden Verfahren
In spite of all the scientific advances of the past few years, proton
magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain has not attained the stat
us of a routine examination technique with clinically accepted indicat
ions. The method should be considered as an additional option to MR im
aging for inherited and acquired encephalopathic changes as well as, i
n future, for localization diagnosis of epilepsies. A proton magnetic
resonance spectroscopic investigation without a prior intensive clinic
al and imaging investigation is not useful. Above all, factors influen
cing metabolite distribution such as for example, serum osmolality mus
t be known. Methodological prerequisites for the clinical application
of proton resonance spectroscopy are, first of all, a high stability o
f the chosen technique as well as a sufficiently certain quantificatio
n of metabolites and the availability of a reference group. The use of
short echo times is necessary for the quantification of glutamine and
the osmolyte myo-inositol. Indications for individual cases in which
clinical investigations and MR topography cannot provide sufficient ce
rtainty and spectroscopy can furnish additional information are, in ad
dition to uses in neuropediatrics, the suspicion of Alzheimer's dement
ia, HIV encephalopathy in early manifestations, and unclarified depres
sions of consciousness accompanying liver cirrhosis.