MRI IN CHRONIC TOLUENE ABUSE - LOW SIGNAL IN THE CEREBRAL-CORTEX ON T2-WEIGHTED IMAGES

MRI may be helpful in showing brain toxicity associated with chronic t oluene inhalation. We report clinical and MRI findings over 3 years in a man with gradual neurologic decline secondary to toluene abuse. Cer ebral atrophy most prominently involved the corpus callosum and cerebe llar vermis. On T2-weighted images, loss of gray-white matter contrast , diffuse supratentorial white matter high-signal lesions, and low sig nal in the basal ganglia and midbrain were seen. In addition, MRI show ed abnormal labor cortical low signal on T2-weighted images, most prom inent in the primary motor and visual cortex. This cortical T2 shorten ing, not previously described in this condition, may reflect iron depo sition.