Recovery of the brain choline level in treated Cushing's patients as monitored by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

In a previous study from our group [A. Khiat, C. Bard, A. Lacroix, J. Rouss eau, Y. Boulanger, Brain metabolic alterations in Gushing's syndrome as mon itored by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, NMR Biomed. 12 (1999) 357 -363], proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1 MRS) was used to evaluat e changes in cerebral metabolites in patients with Gushing's syndrome as co mpared to normal subjects. Data recorded in the frontal, thalamic and tempo ral areas demonstrated statistically significant decreases of the Cho/Cr ra tios in the frontal and thalamic areas but not in the temporal area for Gus hing's syndrome patients. No statistically significant changes in the NAA/C r ratios were measured in any of the areas studied. In this follow-up study , MRS data are reported for ten patients after correction of hypercortisoli sm which demonstrate a statistically significant recovery of the choline le vels in the frontal and thalamic areas. No variation in the NAA, Cr and mI metabolite ratios relative to H2O could be measured. Results are interprete d as an inhibition of the phosphatidylcholine degrading phospholipases by g lucocorticoids which disappears after correction of hypercortisolism. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.