MRI brain volumetry in Rasmussen encephalitis: the fate of affected and "unaffected" hemispheres

Neurology. 2005 Mar 8;64(5):885-7. doi: 10.1212/01.WNL.0000152895.23010.52.

Abstract

Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is regarded as a unihemispheric disease. Serial three-dimensional MRIs of 18 patients under immunotherapy were analyzed volumetrically and planimetrically. Median volume loss was significantly higher in the affected than in the unaffected hemispheres (29.9 cm3/y vs 6.8 cm3/y). Correlation of the planimetrically and volumetrically assessed hemispheric ratios (HRs) was significant. The results support the concept of RE as a basically unilateral disease. Planimetric HR assessment is valid and time efficient.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Atrophy / diagnosis*
  • Atrophy / etiology
  • Atrophy / physiopathology
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / etiology
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / physiopathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Progression
  • Encephalitis / diagnosis*
  • Encephalitis / drug therapy
  • Encephalitis / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Functional Laterality / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / standards
  • Immunotherapy
  • Infant
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / standards
  • Male
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Regression Analysis
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Telencephalon / drug effects
  • Telencephalon / pathology*
  • Telencephalon / physiopathology