Cranial MR in Wilson disease: abnormal white matter in extrapyramidal and pyramidal tracts

Abstract

Purpose: To describe abnormal white matter in the brain on MR in Wilson disease and to compare with anatomic location of white matter tracts.

Methods: Forty-six patients with Wilson disease were examined. Axial T1-weighted inversion-recovery, axial T2-weighted spin-echo, and coronal T2*-weighted gradient-echo MR images were performed. Imaging studies were compared with clinical data.

Results: Seventeen patients showed abnormalities in the region coinciding with the following white matter tracts: corticospinal tract (24%, n = 11), dentatorubrothalamic tract (24%, n = 11), and pontocerebellar tract (17%, n = 8).

Conclusion: Abnormal extrapyramidal and pyramidal white matter tracts are part of the neuroimaging spectrum of Wilson disease. No significant correlation was found with neurologic groups and individual white matter tracts affected.