PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of global scaling analysis on brain activation for sensory and motor func-tional MR imaging study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four normal subjects without abnormal neurological history were included. Arm extension-flexion movement was used for motor function and 1 KHz pure tone stimulation was used for auditory function. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed at 3T MRI (GE, Milwaukee, USA) using BOLD-EPI technique and SPM2 was employed for data analysis. On data analysis, the brain activation images were obtained with and without global scaling by fixing other parameters such as motion correction and realignment. RESULTS: The difference in brain activation between no scaling and global scaling was not large in case of right upper extremity movement (p<0.000001). For auditory test, brain activation with global scaling showed larger activation than that of without global scaling (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A caution must be taken into account when analyzing functional imaging data with global s-caling especially for functional study of small local BOLD signal change.
Arm ; Brain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Statistics as Topic ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the NMR relaxation properties of newly developed high performance paramagnetic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 4-aminomethylcyclohexane carboxylic acid (0.63 g, 4 mmol) was mixed with the suspension solution of DMF (15 mL) and DTPA-bis-anhydride (0.71 g, 2 mmol) to synthesize the ligand. The ligand was then mixed with Gd2O3 (0.18 g, 0.5 mmol) to synthesize Gd-chelate. For the measurement of magnetic relaxivity of paramagnetic compounds, the compounds were diluted to 1mM and then the relaxation times were measured at 1.5T(64 MHz). Inversion-recovery pulse sequence was employed for T1 relaxation measurement and CPMG(Carr-Purcell-Meiboon-Gill) pulse sequence was employed for T2 relaxation measurement. Using MATLAB(Version 7.1) program, T1 magnetic relaxation map, R1 map, T2 magnetic relaxation map and R2 map were developed to represent magnetic relaxation time and magnetic relaxivity as image. RESULTS: Compared to R1=4.9 mM(-1) sec(-1) and R2= 4.8 mM(-1) sec(-1) of Omniscan (Gadodiamide), which is commercially available paramagnetic MR agent, R1 of SUK090(Gd-C32H74N5O24) was 12.46 mM(-1) sec(-1) and R1 of SUK091(Gd-C34H78N5O24) was 12.77 mM(-1) sec(-1). However, R1 of SUK092(Gd-C30H56N5O17) was decreased to 2.09 mM(-1) sec(-1). In case of R2, SUK090(Gd-C32H74N5O24) was 8.76 mM(-1) sec(-1) and SUK091(Gd-C34H78N5O24) was 7.60 mM(-1) sec(-1) whereas SUK092(Gd-C30H56N5O17) CONCLUSION: Among three new paramagnetic complexes, SUK090(Gd-C32H74N5O24) and SUK091(Gd-C34H78N5O24) showed higher T1, T2 magnetic relaxation rates than that of commercially available paramagnetic MR agent and thus expected to have more contrast enhancement effect.
Relaxation*

Synovial sarcoma is rare soft tissue tumor mesenchymal origin. Osseous involvement of synovial sarco-ma is rare. A 24-year-old man presented with pain and swelling of the lower extremity. MRI of the lower extremity demonstrated a large mass encircling tibia with osseous involvement. Surgical excision of the mass was done and the mass was diagnosed as biphasic synovial sarcoma with bone marrow involvement. We also discuss the other imaging findings of synovial sarcoma on MRI.
Bone Marrow ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Synovial* ; Tibia ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To describe MR imaging features of hypoxic brain damage in relation to time elapse and prog-nosis of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 19 MR studies of 18 patients with hypoxic brain damage. MR imaging studies were performed between 1 to 20 days after the hypoxic insults (mean 8.6 days). MR images were analyzed with regard to the locations of abnormal signal intensities, the presence of brain edema. And imaging findings were correlated with the time elapse after the insults and the prognosis of patients. RESULTS: On 19 cases of MR studies, abnormal high intensities on T2-weighted images were found in the basal ganglia (15, 78.9%), cerebral cortex (13, 68.4%), white matter (9, 47.4%), thalamus (6, 31.6%), cerebellum (4, 21.1%) and brainstem (1, 5.3%), respectively. Cerebral cortical involvement was typically bilateral and diffuse, but sometimes limited to the parieto-occipital area. The brainstem and cerebellar involvement was rare and in all cases, cerebral cortical lesions accompanied. Most of the white matter lesions were accompanied with cortical and deep gray matter lesions and found in subacute period(>6 days). The cortical high signal intensity lesions on T1-weighted image were found mostly in subacute stage, but in some cases involvement was also found in acute stage (< or =6 days). The cortical edema is found on 11 cases in acute and subacute stages. In cases of recovered consciousness, cortical involvement and edema on MR were rare. CONCLUSION: MR findings of hypoxic brain damage were various, but diffuse bilateral involvement of cortex and/or deep gray matter was found in most of the cases. White matter involvement was rarely found in acute stage and usually found in subacute stage. In cases of good pronosis, cortical involvement and edema were rare.
Anoxia ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Brain Stem ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Cortex ; Consciousness ; Edema ; Humans ; Hypoxia, Brain* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis* ; Thalamus

PURPOSE: Recent development of diffusion tensor imaging enables the evaluation of the microstructural characteristics of the brain white matter. However, optimal imaging parameters for diffusion tensor imaging, particularly concerning the number of diffusion gradient direction, have not been studied thoroughly yet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the number of diffusion gradient direction on the fiber tracking of the white matter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 13 healthy volunteers (ten men and three women, mean age 30 years, age range 23-37 years) were included in this study. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed with different numbers of diffusion gradient direction as 6, 15, and 32, keeping the other imaging parameters constant. The imaging field ranged from 1 cm below the pons to 2-3 cm above the lateral ventricle, parallel to the anterior commissure-posterior commissure line. FA (fractional anisotropy) maps were created via image post-processing, and then FA and its standard deviation were calculated in the genu and the splenium of the corpus callosum on each of FA maps. Fiber tracking of the corticospinal tract in the brain was performed and the number of the reconstructed fibers of the tract was measured. FA, standard deviation of FA and the number of the reconstructed fibers were compared statistically between the different diffusion gradient directions. RESULTS: FA is not statistically significantly different between the different diffusion gradient directions. By increasing the number of diffusion gradient direction, standard deviation of FA decreased significantly, and the number of the reconstructed fibers increased significantly. CONCLUSION: The higher number of diffusion gradient direction provided better quality of fiber tracking.
Anisotropy* ; Brain ; Corpus Callosum ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Diffusion* ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Pons ; Pyramidal Tracts

On H1 MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy), malignant tumors show higher concentration of metabolite than benign lesions. Lactate double peak was detected in malignant tumor and endometriosis, and more prominent high concentration was demonstrated in endometriosis. Tuboovarian abscesses and salpingitis do not show prominent peak. Dermoid cysts show high levels of lipid peak. Paratubal cyst and follicular cyst can be showed the lipid peak, however, the concentration of lipid is lower than that of dermoid cyst. H1 MRS of ovarian cystic lesions can give valuable information about the presence of metabolites of ovarian cystic lesions.
Abscess ; Dermoid Cyst ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Follicular Cyst ; Lactic Acid ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Ovarian Cysts ; Ovary ; Parovarian Cyst ; Salpingitis

Metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be found in the multiple organs including adrenal gland. But adrenal metastasis of HCC without obvious hepatic lesion is very rare. We report CT and MR findings of a patient who presented with adrenal metastasis as the first clinical manifestation of HCC. Signal intensity and enhancement pattern of adrenal metastastic mass of HCC were similar to those of HCC on MRI.
Adrenal Glands ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the breast is extremely rare and most of the previous reports were focused on the clinicopathological features of breast MFH, so analysis of its imaging findings have been limited. We report a case of MFH involving left breast and left axilla, metastasized from known MFH of left forearm, with focusing on imaging findings based on radiologic evaluation of the breast including mammography, ultrasound and breast MRI.
Axilla ; Breast* ; Forearm ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

When cerebral cortical hyperintensities on diffusion-weighted image are seen in patients with suspected acute stroke accompanying seizure, it is necessary to differentiate whether they are caused by infarction or seizure-related change. We report a case of seizure-related cortical hypertensities in a patient with suspected acute infarction. With perfusion MR imaging, we could differentiate from acute infarction.
Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Perfusion* ; Seizures ; Stroke

Deep sylvian meningioma is a rare form of meningiomas. So far, only 4 cases including the present one have been reported in South Korea. A 43-year-old man without any previous medical history presented to our hospital with seizure. There was a rim enhancing mass in the right deep sylvian fissure without dural attachment on magnetic resonance images. Surgical resection of the mass revealed the lesion to be a meningioma in this patient.
Adult* ; Brain ; Humans ; Meningioma* ; Republic of Korea ; Seizures