Arthritis & Rheumatism, Volume 60,
October 2009 Abstract Supplement
The 2009 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting
Philadelphia October 16-21, 2009.
MRI Imaging Findings in Neuro- Behets Disease
Suda1, Akiko, Ideguchi2, Haruko, Takeno1, Mitsuhiro, Ohno2, Shigeru, Ihata1, Atsushi, Ueda1, Atsuhisa, Ishigatsubo1, Yoshiaki
Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan,
Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
Purpose:
Neurological involvement is one of the most serious manifestations Behçet's disease (BD). The incidence is ranged from 5 to 10 % of BD patients. The clinical symptoms and lesions are diverse from patient to patient. We here assessed the MRI imaging and clinical manifestations in BD patients with central nervous involvement.
Methods:
Brain MRI imaging were conducted in 27 NBD patients (16 male, 11 female) under care in Yokohama City University Hospital from 1991 to 2007. The imaging conditions included T1 WI, T2WI, and FLAIR images. We analyzed abnormal signals in individual imaging conditions, the anatomical localization, and morphological abnormalities of the parenchymal brain system including atrophy. Neurological symptoms and signs were also reviewed based on clinical charts when the MRI was taken.
Results:
A total of 77 abnormal signals were identified by any imaging conditions in the 27 patients. The lesions were most frequently detected in the cerebrum (77.8%), followed by the brain stem (59.3%), the basal ganglia (37.0%) and the cerebellum (22.2%). The most common abnormality was T2 high intensity in the cerebral subcortex. Cerebellar and cerebral brain atrophy was found in 8 (38.1%) and 3 patients (14.2%) of 27 patients, respectively. Of neurological clinical features, cranial nerve involvement was more common in patients with the brainstem lesions than the others (p=0.027). Cerebellar and/or cerebral brain atrophy was associated with personality changes (p=0.005) and speech disorder (p=0.018). The other symptoms such as headache and meningeal signs were not related with any abnormal MRI findings. There was no significant association of abnormal MRI findings with gender, age and HLA-B phenotype.
Conclusion:
MRI is useful to detect the brainstem lesions, which are responsible for cranial nerve injury, and he parenchymal brain atrophy, which causes personality changes and speech disorder in patients with BD.
To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Suda, Akiko, Ideguchi, Haruko, Takeno, Mitsuhiro, Ohno, Shigeru, Ihata, Atsushi, Ueda, Atsuhisa, et al; MRI Imaging Findings in Neuro- Behets Disease [abstract]. Arthritis Rheum 2009;60 Suppl 10 :1484
DOI: 10.1002/art.26558
