Cerebral Amyloidosis: Postmortem Detection with Human 7.0-T MR Imaging System1

• Published in: Radiology Vol. 253; no. 3; p. 788
• Main Authors: Sanneke van Rooden, Marion L. C. Maat-Schieman, Rob J. A. Nabuurs, Louise van der Weerd, Sara van Duijn, Sjoerd G. van Duinen, Remco NattÃ, Mark A. van Buchem, Jeroen van der Grond
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Radiological Society of North America 01.12.2009
• ISSN: 0033-8419; 1527-1315
• DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2533090490

Purpose: To explore the ability of whole-body 7.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to depict differences in aspects of the cerebral cortex of postmortem human brain specimens with cerebral amyloid β deposition in connection with Alzheimer disease (AD), Down syndrome, or sporadic or hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and control brain specimens lacking such deposition. Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the local institutional review board. In all cases, informed consent was obtained to perform autopsy and to use the tissues for research purposes. T2- and T2*-weighted MR imaging was performed in formalin-fixed samples of brain tissue from six subjects with AD changes, seven with CAA, and five subjects without immunohistochemical evidence of cerebral amyloid β deposition. All MR images were visually assessed for hypointense foci in and inhomogeneity of the cortex. Sensitivity, specificity, and κ values of these MR imaging features in the detection of histologic changes were calculated. Results: High-spatial-resolution 0.3 × 0.3 × 0.3-mm three-dimensional T2*-weighted images revealed hypointense foci, inhomogeneity of the cortex, or both in all specimens with brain amyloid β deposition. These MR imaging features were observed in none of the control specimens. Conclusion: The finding of postmortem susceptibility-weighted changes in the cerebral cortex of patients with cerebral amyloidosis with a human 7.0-T MR imaging system opens up the possibility of obtaining in vivo radiologic evidence of cerebral amyloid β deposition. © RSNA, 2009 Supplemental material: http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.2533090490/-/DC1