Persistence of MRI hyperintensity of the globus pallidus in cirrhotic patients: a 2-year follow-up study.

We investigated the long-term persistence and short-term stability of globus pallidus (GP) hyperintensity on T1-weighted MRI in 19 cirrhotic patients. After a mean interval of 25.8 months, the hyperintensity of the GP persisted in 17 patients. Hyperintensity disappeared in two patients with hepatocarcinoma, indicating that hyperintensity can revert to normal in circumstances other than liver transplants. Ten patients participated in a 6-month study with repeated evaluations of GP signal intensity, plasma ammonia levels, and selected neuropsychological tests. The GP signal was fairly stable during the follow-up, and the variables considered maintained significant relationships. GP hyperintensity appears as a stable indicator of the functional status of cirrhotic patients.