Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in central nervous system disease.

From the preliminary work of many investigators, it appears that proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging will have wide application in the diagnostic assessment (and potential management) of patients with vascular, neoplastic, and demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Findings in isolated cases and small series suggest that NMR imaging may play a role in the evaluation of patients with other CNS conditions including hydrocephalus, malformations, infections, developmental and metabolic disorders, and degenerative processes. Because of the dynamic nature of disease processes involving the CNS, the precise meaning of NMR image parameters (rho, T1, and T2) remains unclear. A comprehensive study correlating NMR images in neurologic disease with precise neuropathologic examination is required. In the future, with accurate quantitative measurements of these NMR parameters, in vivo imaging may provide insight into the dynamic nature of neurologic disease.