Evaluation of cortical superficial siderosis in patients with cognitive dysfunction using 3D FLAIR and 3D DIR.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to evaluate the detectability of cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) by 3D FLAIR and 3D DIR images in comparison with the SWI images in patients with cognitive dysfunction.

METHODS

We studied 246 patients with cognitive dysfunction (144 women, 102 men; mean age: 75.5 ± 7.53 years) who visited a memory clinic at our hospital and underwent MR examinations at 3 T. Specifically, 16 patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) (n = 11) and AD with cerebrovascular disease (n = 5) manifested cSS based on SWI. Each set of MR images (3D FLAIR and 3D DIR) was reviewed by two reviewers separately for the detection of sulcal hyperintensity that suggested cSS.

RESULTS

SWI detected a greater number of cSS sulci than 3D DIR and 3D FLAIR. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of sulcal hyperintensity were the same between 3D FLAIR and 3D DIR (87.5%/100%). However, 3D DIR detected a greater number of cSS sulci than 3D FLAIR (p = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that 3D DIR and 3D FLAIR can detect sulcal hyperintensity related to cSS although they are less sensitive to cSS lesions than SWI.

KEY POINTS

• 3D FLAIR and 3D DIR can show sulcal signal abnormalities related to cSS in patients with cognitive dysfunction. • 3D FLAIR and 3D DIR detect sulcal hyperintensity of cSS, although they are less sensitive to cSS than SWI. • Signal alterations due to cSS are more detectable in 3D DIR than in 3D FLAIR.