BACKGROUNDHIV is a neurotropic virus which can cause brain white matter demyelination, gliosis, and other pathological changes that appear as HIV encephalitis or AIDS dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of the diffused condition of water molecules in brain white matter in early acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients using MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

METHODSDTI examinations were performed on a Siemens 3.0T MR scanner in 23 AIDS patients with normal brain appearance by conventional MRI and 20 healthy volunteers as the control group. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in nine regions; corpus callosum (CC) knee, CC body, CC splenium, periventricular white matter, frontal lobe white matter, parietal lobe white matter, occipital lobe white matter, and the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule. The mean FA and ADC values from each region were compared in three groups: the symptomatic, asymptomatic and the control.

RESULTSThe mean FA values were significantly lower and the mean ADC values were significantly higher in all nine regions in patients in the symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic and control group patients. In the asymptomatic group, the mean FA values were significantly lower and the mean ADC values were significantly higher at the CC knee, CC body, CC splenium, periventricular white matter, frontal lobe white matter and parietal lobe white matter, than in the control group. There were no significant differences at other regions between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe diffused changes of water molecules in brain white matter in AIDS patients are related to brain white matter regions. DTI examination can detect the brain white matter lesions early in AIDS patients.