Utility of the Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Sequence in Detecting a Hyperintense Putaminal Rim in Multiple System Atrophy-Parkinsonism: A Preliminary Study

作者：Sakurai Keita^*; Yamawaki Takemori; Okita Kenji; Kato Daisuke; Matsukawa Noriyuki; Kawaguchi Takatsune; Kobayashi Susumu; Nagai Keiichi; Muto Masahiro; Hosono Akihiro; Shibamoto Yuta

来源：European Neurology, 2011, 66(1): 42-46.

DOI：10.1159/000328674

• Multiple system atrophy, early stage
• Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery
• Hyperintense putaminal rim
• Putamen
• Magnetic resonance imaging

Objective: To investigate the utility of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging for diagnosing multiple system atrophy-parkinsonism (MSA-P). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 49 subjects (19 with MSA-P including 11 with early-stage disease, 15 with Parkinson's disease and 15 matched controls) in order to compare the diagnostic value of FLAIR imaging to detect a hyperintense putaminal rim (HPR) with that of T(2)-weighted (T2W) imaging. Results: Compared with T2W imaging, FLAIR imaging detected HPR more conspicuously in the 19 MSA-P patients (p = 0.01); this trend was also observed in 11 early-stage MSA-P patients (p = 0.01). Furthermore, FLAIR imaging tended to increase sensitivity of detecting HPR compared with T2W imaging (all patients: 89 vs. 58%, p = 0.07; early-stage patients: 100 vs. 55%, p = 0.06). Conclusions: FLAIR imaging might be more useful for detecting HPR in MSA-P patients, even though they are at an early stage.