• 보험의학회지
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• 제28권1_2호
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• pp.11-14
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• 2009

It is common to find cerebral infarct and hemorrhage without definite neurologic signs but with lesions on neuroimaging. These lesions are called silent lacunar infarct and cerebral microbleed. Silent lacunar infarct are frequently seen in the elderly and are associated with clinically apparent stroke and vascular dementia. Known stroke risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and heart problems may increase the risk of silent lacunar infarct. Metabolic syndrome, homocysteinemia, renal failure and intima media thickness(IMT) are also other risk factors of the silent lacunar infarct. Cerebral microbleed, lacunar infarct and intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) have similar pathology and pathogenesis. So, cerebral microbleed are coexisted with lacunar infarct, leukoaraiosis, hypertensive ICH and vascular dementia. Cerebral microbleed are associated with volume and recurrence of ICH. Also cerebral microbleed may reflect baseline status of blood brain barrior disruption. Silent lacunar infarct and cerebral microbleed are very important to clinical management, but in the aspect of insurance medicine and independent medical examiners, these lesions are not subject of evaluation for handicap.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.65-67
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• 2021

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.88-100
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• 2022

Purpose: Cerebral microbleeds are more susceptible than surrounding tissues and have been associated with a variety of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders that are indicative of an underlying vascular pathology. We investigated relaxivity changes and microvascular indices in the presence of microbleeds in an imaging voxel by evaluating those before and after contrast agent injection. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations were run with a variety of conditions, including different magnetic field strengths (B₀), different echo times, and different contrast agents. ΔR2^* and ΔR2 and microvascular indices were calculated with varying microvascular vessel sizes and microbleed loads. Results: As B₀ and the concentration of microbleeds increased, 𝜟R2^* and 𝜟R2 increased. 𝜟R2^* increased, but 𝜟R2 decreased slightly as the vessel radius increased. When the vessel radius was increased, the vessel size index (VSI) and mean vessel diameter (mVD) increased, and all other microvascular indices except mean vessel density (Q) increased when the concentration of microbleeds was increased. Conclusions: Because patients with neurodegenerative diseases often have microbleeds in their brains and VSI and mVD increase with increasing microbleeds, microbleeds can be altered microvascular signals in a voxel in the brain of a neurodegenerative disease at 3T magnetic resonance imaging.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.38-44
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• 2009

Objective : The authors studied the risk factors of silent cerebral microbleeds (MBs) and old hematomas (OHs) and their association with concurrent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in the patients of intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs). Methods : From April 2002 to June 2007, we retrospectively studied 234 patients of primary hemorrhagic stroke. All patients were evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and 3.0-tesla MR imaging studies within the first week of admission. MBs and OHs were assessed by using $T2^{\ast}$-weighted gradient-echo (GRE) MR imaging. The patients were divided into 2 groups, depending on whether or not they had two GRE lesions of chronic hemorrhages. A correlation between MBs and OHs lesions were also statistically tested. Lacunes and white matter and periventricular hyperintensities (WMHs, PVHs) were checked by T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo and fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences. Variables on the clinical and laboratory data and MR imaging abnormalities were compared between both groups with or without MBs and OHs. Results : MBs were observed in 186 (79.5%) patients and a total of 46 OHs were detected in 45 (19.2%) patients. MBs (39.6%), OHs (80.4%), and ICHs (69.7%) were most commonly located in the ganglionic/thalamic region. Both MBs and OHs groups were more frequently related to chronic hypertension and advanced WMHs and PVHs. The prevalence and number of MBs were more closely associated with OHs groups than non-OH patients. Conclusion : This study clearly demonstrated the presence of MBs and OHs and their correlation with hypertension and cerebral white matter microangiopathy in the ICHs patients. Topographic correlation between the three lesions (MBs, OHs, and ICHs) was also noted in the deep thalamo-basal location.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.210-214
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• 2006

Objective : We investigate risk factors of cerebral microbleeds[MBs] and their relation to concomitant magnetic resonance[MR] findings in intracerebral hemorrhages[ICHs] patients. Methods : We studied 100 consecutive patients with primary ICH over a 1-year period. These patients underwent brain MR images using 3.0-T scanners within the first week of the hemorrhage. MBs and old hematomas were located and counted by using $T2^*-weighted$ gradient-echo MR imaging. We also counted lacunes and graded white matter and periventricular hyperintensity on T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences. The association between MBs and vascular risk factors and MR abnormalities were analyzed. Results : MBs were seen in 77 of ICH patients, and their number ranged from 1 to 65 lesions [mean 11, median 6]. The locations of MBs were subcortex-cortex [40.6%], basal ganglia [26.7%], thalamus [14.1 %], brain stem [12.5%], and cerebellum [9.1 %]. Analysis of clinical data revealed that age, hypertension, history of stroke, and duration of hypertension were frequently associated with MBs. The incidence of lacunes, old hematomas, and advanced leukoaraiosis was significantly higher in the MBs group, compared with the patients without MBs. Conclusion : MBs are frequently observed in ICH patients with advancing age, chronic hypertension, and previous hemorrhagic stroke, and are also closely related with morphological signs of occlusive type microangiopathy, such as lacunar infarct and severe leukoaraiosis.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.290-302
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• 2014

목적: 자화율 강조 자기공명영상 (Susceptibility-weighted imaging)은 혈액분해산물, 석회화, 철 침착물을 발견하는데 있어 높은 민감도를 보이는 3D spoiled gradient-echo pulse sequence 이다. 본 임상화보는 자화율 강조 자기공명영상의 주된 임상적 적용에 대해 설명하고 논의하는 데에 그 목적이 있다. 대상과 방법: 자화율 강조 자기공명영상은 자기강도영상 (magnitude image)과 위상영상 (phase image)을 이용한 고해상도, 3D fully velocity-compensated gradient-echo sequence 에 기초를 두고 있다. 정맥 구조물의 가시성을 향상시키기 위해, 자기강도영상은 여과된 위상 데이터 (phase data) 로부터 발생된 위상 마스크 (phase mask)를 이용해 증폭되고, 이것은 최소강도투사 (Minimal intensive projection) 알고리즘을 이용한 3D dataset 후처리 과정을 거치게 된다. 3T 자기공명기기에서 SWI를 포함하는 자기공명영상 검사를 시행한 총 200명의 환자를 대상으로 연구하였다. 결과: 자화율 강조 자기공명영상은 다양한 뇌 질환의 발견에 매우 유용하였다. 200명의 환자 중 80명은 선천성 정맥 기형, 22명은 해면상 혈관종, 12명은 다양한 질환에서의 석회화, 21명은 혈관자화 징후 (susceptibility vessel sign) 또는 미세출혈을 동반하는 뇌혈관 질환, 52명은 뇌종양, 2명은 미만성 축삭 손상, 3명은 동정맥 기형, 5명은 뇌경막 동정맥루, 1명은 모야모야병, 그리고 2명은 파킨슨병이 관찰되었다. 결론: 자화율 강조 자기공명영상은 미세 저혈량 혈관성 병변, 석회화 그리고 미세출혈과 다양한 뇌병변의 진단에 유용하다.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.107-113
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• 2015

Purpose: Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is a new magnetic resonance technique that can exploit the magnetic susceptibility differences of various tissues. Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) looks a dark blooming on the magnitude images of SWI. However, the pattern of ICH on phase images is not well known. The purpose of this study is to characterize hemorrhagic lesions on the phase images of SWI. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with ICH, who underwent both SWI and precontrast CT, between 2012 and 2013 (n = 95). An SWI was taken, using the 3-tesla system. A phase map was generated after postprocessing. Cases with an intracranial hemorrhage were reviewed by an experienced neuroradiologist and a trainee radiologist, with 10 years and 3 years of experience, respectively. The types and stages of the hemorrhages were determined in correlation with the precontrast CT, the T1- and T2-weighted images, and the FLAIR images. The size of the hemorrhage was measured by a one- directional axis on a magnitude image of SWI. The phase values of the ICH were qualitatively evaluated: hypo-, iso-, and hyper-intensity. We summarized the imaging features of the intracranial hemorrhage on the phase map of the SWI. Results: Four types of hemorrhage are observed: subdural and epidural; subarachnoid; parenchymal hemorrhage; and microbleed. The stages of the ICH were classified into 4 groups: acute (n = 34); early subacute (n = 11); late subacute (n = 15); chronic (n = 8); stage-unknown microbleeds (n = 27). The acute and early subacute hemorrhage showed heterogeneous mixed hyper-, iso-, and hypo-signal intensity; the late subacute hemorrhage showed homogeneous hyper-intensity, and the chronic hemorrhage showed a shrunken iso-signal intensity with the hyper-signal rim. All acute subarachnoid hemorrhages showed a homogeneous hyper-signal intensity. All parenchymal hemorrhages (> 3 mm) showed a dipole artifact on the phase images; however, microbleeds of less than 3 mm showed no dipole artifact. Larger hematomas showed a heterogeneous mixture of hyper-, iso-, and hypo-signal intensities. Conclusion: The pattern of the phase value of the SWI showed difference, according to the type, stage, and size.