Characteristics of spongiform leukoencephalopathy induced by heroin: MRI detection.

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the imaging characteristics of spongiform leukoencephalopathy induced by heroin and the diagnostic value of MRI examination.

METHODS

Eleven cases of heroin addiction were examined by MRI. The sequences included T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery pulse sequence (Flair).

RESULTS

Bilateral symmetrical lesions were located in the white matter of the cerebrum and cerebellum, the internal capsule in all cases, and the callosum in 6 cases. Elliptical lesions in the mesencephalon were found in two cases. These lesions were shown as hypointense signals on T1WI and hyperintense signals on T2WI and Flair's imaging. Cerebellar white matter suffered more severely, but the dentate nuclei were not invaded.

CONCLUSION

Heroin-induced spongiform leukoencephalopathy has characteristic patterns in MRI, which are very specific to this form of the disease.