Extensive vasogenic edema of anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-related brain lesions

Abstract

Objective

Using neuroimaging, we analyzed the nature of extensive brain lesions in five anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

Results

Extensive brain lesions involved white matter in three, and basal ganglia and corpus callosum in one each. Four patients showed high diffusivity on apparent diffusion coefficient maps and three demonstrated increased choline/creatine ratios and decreased N-acetyl-aspartate/creatine ratios on ¹H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These findings suggested that the lesions were vasogenic edema associated with inflammation. Unusual brain symptoms associated with such lesions included recurrent limbic encephalitis, parkinsonism, and coma.

Conclusion

Anti-AQP4 antibody is considered to be associated with the neuroimaging appearances of vasogenic edema.

Keywords

aquaporin-4 diffusion-weighted image MRI MRS neuromyelitis optica vasogenic edema

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