Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral computerized tomography for patients with solvent-induced encephalopathy.

To compare the results of cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) for patients with solvent-induced encephalopathy, a parallel study was performed with nine patients. The diagnosis had been given three to five years earlier on the basis of relevant exposure to solvents, findings on neuropsychological tests, a neurological examination, and cerebral CT. There was no progression of pathological lesions from the first to the second CT examination. Four patients with atrophy in the CT examination also had atrophy in the MRI examination. In addition three patients with normal CT findings showed atrophy in the MRI examination. It was concluded that MRI should be the modality of choice whenever diagnostic imaging is necessary in the clinical workout of patients with diagnosed or suspected solvent-induced encephalopathy.