MRI Diagnosis of Neuronal Migrational Anomaly

Objective To summarize the features of neuron migration anomalies on MRI to improve the ability of diagnosis and differential diagnosis.Methods Clinical and radiological data of 80 cases with neuron migration anomalies are analysed.All cases use MRI plain scanning including 15 cases with gray matter imaging and 6 cases using of inversion recovery imaging.Results In all cases,there are schizencephaly in 35 cases;gray matter heterotopia in 29 cases;polymicrogyria in 7 cases;pachygyria in 5 cases;congenital agyria in 4 cases.Gray-matter-lined clefts which go through cerebral hemispheres from ventricle to hemispheric surface are characteristic imaging appearance of schizencephaly;gray matter heterotopia is appeared as nodules,masses or bands located in white matter or periventricular regions,with identical signal intensities or densities to the normal gray matter on all MRI sequences.Pachygyria shows thickened gray matter with the increased volume and decreased number.In congenital agyria,the surface of cerebral hemispheres is smooth,cortical sulci are shallow with thickened cortex and thin white matter.In polymicrogyria,the volume of gyri is decreased,but the number is increased and the adjacent subarachnoid space is widened.Focal cortical dysplasia shows gyria number increase,thickened gray matter.Conclusion MRI is important tools for the neuron migration anomalies.It can demonstrate the features of this disease,and improve the accuracy of the diagnosis.