Computer-assisted quantification of various brain diseases

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Quantification of various brain diseases was performed using a computer which was purchased with the grant. The results are as follows. 1) Fourteen patients among 206 patients receiving tacrolimus developed neurological complications. Brain MR studies, including diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging, were performed in the 14 patients. All the patients whose lesions showed higher than normal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) on initial MR images showed complete resolution on follow-up MR study. The patient whose lesion showed lower than normal ADC showed incomplete resolution with laminar necrosis on a follow-up MR study. DW imaging was proved to be useful in predicting the outcomes of the lesions of tacrolimus-induced neurotoxicity ; 2) Conventional spin-echo, fast spin-echo, and gradient-echo MR imaging was performed in 10 patients with cavernous hemanigoma. Signal intensities of the cavernous hemangioma, globus pallidus, putamen, and deep white matter were measured using the computer. It was proved that gradient-echo images provide most prominent contrast for hemosiderin and conventional spin-echo images provide most prominent contrast for ferritin. ; 3) MR imaging of the pituitary was performed for 12 women who delivered a baby every month for up to 14 months. Volume and T1-signal intensity of the pituitary were measured with use of the computer. It was revealed that the volume and T1-signal intensity of the pituitary decreases rapidly in the first 6 months, and gradually in the following 6 months. ; 4) Whole-brain magnetization transfer ratio histogram (MTRH) was generated using the computer in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The peak height of the MTRH was lower after chemotherapy, which may suggest that MTRH can detect microscopic treatment-induced demyelination. ; 5) ADC was calculated in various head and neck tumors. ADC of benign tumors was significantly lower that of malignant tumors.