Adrenoleukodystrophy: imaging with CT, MRI, and PET.

A patient with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) was tested with a series of CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomographic (PET) images. The computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed the classical pattern described in ALD but showed little relation to the clinical presentation and the evolution of the disease. The MRI showed a larger area of abnormality than the one detected with the CT scan and was more sensitive to progression of the disease process. The PET scan done for cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism showed derangements on gray matter that were not detected with either of the previous tests.