• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.225-232
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• 2023

Cognitive dysfunction is relatively less considered a complication of hypertension. However, there is sufficient evidence to show that high blood pressure in middle age increases the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in old age. The greatest impact on cognitive function in those with hypertension is on executive or frontal lobe function, similar to the area most damaged in vascular dementia. Possible cognitive disorders associated with hypertension are vascular dementia, Alzheimer disease, and Lewy body dementia, listed in decreasing strength of association. The pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with hypertension includes brain atrophy, microinfarcts, microbleeds, neuronal loss, white matter lesions, network disruption, neurovascular unit damage, reduced cerebral blood flow, blood-brain barrier damage, enlarged perivascular damage, and proteinopathy. Antihypertensive drugs may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Given the high prevalence of dementia and its impact on quality of life, treatment of hypertension to reduce cognitive decline may be a clinically relevant intervention.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제83권3호
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• pp.486-507
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• 2022

뇌소혈관질환은 뇌 자기공명영상에서 흔히 관찰되는 혈관성 변화로 뇌백질 고신호강도, 뇌미세출혈, 열공성 경색, 혈관주위공간 등을 포함한다. 이러한 혈관성 변화가 알츠하이머병(Alzheimer's disease; 이하 AD)의 발병 및 진행과 관련되어 있고, 대표 병리인 베타 아밀로이드 및 타우 단백의 침착과도 연관되어 있다는 증거들이 축적되고 있다. 혈관성 변화는 생활습관 개선이나 약물 치료를 통해 예방과 개선이 가능하기 때문에 뇌소혈관질환과 AD 및 AD 생체지표의 관련성을 연구하는 것이 중요하다. 본 종설에서는 AD와 AD 생체지표에 대해 간략히 소개하고, AD와 혈관성 변화의 관련성에 대해 축적된 증거들을 제시한 다음, 뇌소혈관질환의 병태 생리와 MR 영상 소견을 설명하고자 한다. 또 뇌소혈관질환과 AD 진단의 위험도 및 AD 생체지표와의 관련성에 대한 기존 연구 결과들을 정리하고자 한다.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.65-73
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• 2020

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a single-gene disease of the cerebral small blood vessels caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene on chromosome 19. Although CADASIL was known as a rare disease, recent research has suggested that the NOTCH variants could be found frequently even in the general population. The main clinical features included recurrent stroke, migraine, psychiatric symptoms, and progressive cognitive decline. On brain magnetic resonance imaging, patients with CADASIL showed multifocal white matter hyperintensity lesions, lacunar infarcts, microbleeds, and brain atrophy. Among them, lacunar infarcts and brain atrophy are important in predicting the clinical outcomes of patients with CADASIL. In the Jeju National University Hospital, we have diagnosed 213 CADASIL patients from 2004 to 2020. Most NOTCH3 mutations were located in exon 11 (94.4%), and p.Arg544Cys was the most common mutation. The mean age at diagnosis was 61.0±12.8 years. The most common presenting symptoms were ischemic stroke (24.4%), followed by cognitive impairment(15.0%), headache (8.9%), and dizziness(8.0%). Although the exact prevalence of CADASIL in Jeju is still unknown, the disease prevalence could be as high as 1% of the population considering the prevalence reported in Taiwan. Therefore, it is necessary to discover efficient biomarkers and genetic tests that can accurately screen and diagnose patients suspected of having CADASIL in this region. Ultimately, it is urgent to explore the exact pathogenesis of the disease to identify leading substances of treatment potential, and for this, multi-disciplinary research through active support from the Jeju provincial government as well as the national government is essential.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.131-134
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• 2018

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is well known for detecting the presence of hemorrhagic transformation, microbleeds and the susceptibility of vessel signs in acute ischemic stroke. But in some cases, it can provide the tissue perfusion state as well. We describe a case of a patient with hyperacute ischemic infarction that had a slightly hypodense, patchy lesion at the left thalamus on the initial SWI, with a left proximal posterior cerebral artery occlusion on a magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and delayed time-to-peak on an MR perfusion performed two hours after symptom onset. No obvious abnormal signals at any intensity were found on the initial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). On a follow-up MR image (MRI), an acute ischemic infarction was seen on DWI, which is the same location as the lesion on SWI. The hypointensity on the initial SWI reflects the susceptibility artifact caused by an increased deoxyhemoglobin in the affected tissue and vessels, which reflects the hypoperfusion state due to decreasing arterial flow. It precedes the signal change on DWI that reflects a cytotoxic edema. This case highlights that, in some hyperacute stages of ischemic stroke, hypointensity on an SWI may be a finding before the hyperintensity is seen on a DWI.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제85권1호
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• pp.184-196
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• 2024

목적 인지기능 저하를 진단하기 위해서 자기공명영상을 이용한 영상 소견의 진단능을 평가하였다. 대상과 방법 총 138명의 주관적인 인기지능 저하를 호소하며, MRI 검사를 시행한 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 이 환자 그룹은 신경정신학적 평가를 통해 알츠하이머군과 비알츠하이머군으로 분류되었다. 우리는 이들의 white matter hyperintensity와 cerebral microbleed를 평가하였으며, Kruskal- Wallis test를 통해 그룹 간의 비교를, receiver operating characteristic (이하 ROC)를 통해 영상학적 소견의 진단능을 평가하였다. 결과 인지기능 정상인 경우와 경도인지장애 환자와 비교해서 알츠하이머 환자에서 엽 혹은 심부 미세출혈이 빈번하게 관찰되었으며, 심한 심부 혹은 뇌실주위, 전체 백질 신호강도 또한 인지기능 정상에 비해서 알츠하이머 환자에서 많이 관찰되었다. 알츠하이머 환자와 다른 환자 그룹(정상 혹은 경도인지장애)을 비교할 때 엽미세출혈과 뇌실주위 뇌백질 신호강도 증가가 같이 존재하는 경우 가장 높은 진단능을 보였다(area under the ROC curve = 0.702[95% 신뢰구간: 0.599-0.806], p < 0.001). 결론 자기공명영상에서 확인한 영상 소견을 바탕으로 인지기능 저하의 진단능을 평가하였다. 인지기능 저하의 진단에 있어서 엽미세출혈과 뇌실주위 뇌백질 신호강도 증가가 같이 존재하는 경우에 높은 진단능을 보였으며, 이러한 소견을 바탕으로 인지기능 저하를 진단하는 데 있어 영상 소견이 도움을 줄 수 있을 것이라는 가능성을 보여주었다.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.105-113
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• 2016

Purpose: Susceptibility vessel sign (SVS) on gradient echo image, which is caused by MR signal loss due to arterial thrombosis, has been reported in acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. However, the reported sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of SVS have been variable. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is a newly developed MR sequence. Recent studies have found that SWI may be useful in the field of cerebrovascular diseases, especially for detecting the presence of prominent veins, microbleeds and the SVS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic values of SWI for the detection of hyperacute MCA occlusion. Materials and Methods: Sixty-nine patients (37 males, 32 females; 46-89 years old [mean, 69.1]) with acute stroke involving the MCA territory underwent MR imaging within 6 hours after the symptom onset. MR examination included T2, FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery), DWI, SWI, PWI (perfusion-weighted imaging), contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) and contrast-enhanced T1. Of these patients, 28 patients also underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within 2 hours after MR examination. Presence or absence of SVS on SWI was assessed without knowledge of clinical, DSA and other MR imaging findings. Results: On MRA or DSA, 34 patients (49.3%) showed MCA occlusion. Of these patients, SVS was detected in 30 (88.2%) on SWI. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of SWI were 88.2%, 97.1%, 96.8%, 89.5% and 92.8%, respectively. Conclusion: SWI was sensitive, specific and accurate for the detection of hyperacute MCA occlusion.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제84권3호
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• pp.638-652
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• 2023

목적 경도인지장애와 알츠하이머 치매 환자에서 아밀로이드베타 양성을 예측할 수 있는 MRI 특징을 알아보고 머신러닝으로 아밀로이드베타 양성 예측 모형의 성능을 알아보고자 하였다. 대상과 방법 후향적 및 단면조사연구로 경도인지장애와 알츠하이머 치매 총 139명의 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 이들은 모두 뇌 MRI와 아밀로이드 PET-CT를 시행하였다. 대상자는 아밀로이드 베타 양성군(n = 84)과 아밀로이드 베타 음성군(n = 55)으로 분류하였다. 시각적 분석으로는 뇌백질 고신호 병변의 Fazekas 척도와 뇌미세출혈 개수를 시행하였다. 정량분석으로 뇌백질 고신호 병변의 부피와 국소뇌부피를 측정하였다. 다중 로지스틱 회귀분석과 머신러닝 기법으로 아밀로이드베타 양성을 가장 잘 예측할 수 있는 MRI 특징을 확인하였다. 결과 시각적분석에서 아밀로이드베타 양성군은 뇌백질 고신호 병변의 Fazekas 척도(p = 0.02)와 뇌미세출혈 개수(p = 0.04)가 유의미하게 높았다. 해마, 내후각피질, 설전부의 국소뇌부피들은 아밀로이드베타 양성군에서 유의미하게 작았다(p < 0.05). 제3뇌실(p = 0.002)의 부피는 아밀로이드베타 양성군에서 유의미하게 컸다. 간이 정신 상태 검사와 국소뇌부피를 이용하여 머신러닝기법을 이용했을 때 좋은 정확도를 보였다(81.1%). 결론 간이 정신 상태 검사, 제3뇌실과 해마 부피를 이용한 머신러닝의 적용은 아밀로이드베타 양성을 예측하는데 활용될 수 있다.