Aim of the study Parkinson's disease is associated with iron deposition in the brain. The QSM (quantitative susceptibility mapping) is more sensitive than T2-weighted imaging, T2* and R2. Few studies have been used QSM to evaluate the iron in the basal ganglia of patients with Parkinson's disease. Our aim was to evaluate the iron deposition in the basal ganglia using QSM and determination of diagnostic value of this method and evaluation of the association between disease stage with QSM and age with QSM in all nuclei, separately. Materials and methods Thirty patients were tested using Hoehn and Yahr test in three different stages. Fifteen healthy subjects were considered as control group. MRI sequences were performed using SIEMENS 3 T scanner.The Signal Processing in NMR software was used to process and analyze the images. The QSM in every of the basal ganglia was measured separately. Results There was a significant difference for QSM in the Subtania Nigera, Red Nucleus, Thalamic Nucleus and Globus Pallidus nucleus between two groups. The relationship between disease stage with QSM was significant in Subtania Nigera, Red Nucleus, and Globus Pallidus nucleus. The QSM values had a significant association with disease stage in all nuclei. The results showed that QSM has a higher accuracy in Subtania Nigera, Globus Pallidus, Red Nucleus and Thalamic Nucleus, respectively. Conclusions Using QSM in Red Nucleus, Subtania Nigera, and Globus Pallidus nuclei can help diagnosis and staging the patients with Parkinson's disease. In future, studies with emphasis on the disease stage can be helpful in evaluation the different parts of these three nuclei.

Ischemic etiology of stroke is the most common health issue. Differentiating the ischemic core from the associated penumbra is tremendously important in tailoring an effective therapeutic strategy and potential intervention. Additionally, the degree of cell damage adjacent to the ischemic core may be either reversible or irreversible, which may also affect clinical outcomes. We describe a case of a 58-year-old female, who was diagnosed with global aphasia and fluctuating right-sided hypoesthesia. Multimodal MR imaging analysis was obtained, with cerebral blood flow and mean transit time , demonstrating an infarcted core with an even larger penumbra, suggesting potentially salvageable tissue. We concluded that quantified perfusion imaging data should be used in combination with other MR protocols to determine at-risk tissues. This case substantiates the role of multimodal imaging of the penumbra as a routine part of acute stroke workup and management.

Introduction: Migraine is one of the most common disabling disorders affecting more than 20% of general population at least for once in their lifetime. There are generally two types of migraine headaches, classified as with and without auras, presenting as visual, sensory or motor symptoms. In this study, authors plan to investigate the structural difference between these patients group by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in a prospective casecontrol study. Materials and Methods: From August 2015 to October 2017, we have enrolled 40 patients suffering from migraine with aura symptoms into group A, and also we have categorized another 40 patients diagnosed with migraine without any types of aura in group B. These patients were referred to our neurology clinic of one of private hospitals in Tehran. Demographic data and thorough neurological examination performed and they underwent 1.5 Tesla MRI for further assessment of neuro-structures by an expert blinded neuro-radiologist. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 17.0 program using Student's T-test and Chi-square test. Results: In group A, there were 9 males and 31 females with mean age of 34.3 years, while there were 13 males and 27 females with mean age of 37.6 years in group B. (P value=0.08) Twenty-five patients in group A experienced visual symptoms, followed by 9 patients with sensory symptoms and 6 patients with motor symptoms. MRI study for group A revealed normal neuro-imaging in 18, pineal and choroid plexus calcification in 8, hyperintense lesions on optic nerve and tract in 4, vascular malformation in 4, hyperintense signal on centrum semiovale in 3 and lateral ventricle asymmetry in 3 patients. While MRI study in group B revealed normal neuro-imaging in 24, hyperintense signal on centrum semiovale in 6 and lateral ventricle asymmetry in 4, dilated ventricles defined by Evans' ratio in 3, pineal and choroid plexus calcification in 2 and brain tumor consistent with meningioma in 1 patient. Conclusion: Authors have found that some specific MRI pattern such as hyperintense lesions on optic nerve and tract and vascular malformation were exclusive to patients who experienced migraine with aura. Also we have noticed that patients without aura tend to have more normal neuro-imaging rather than patients with aura experience. Also we have found that pineal and choroid plexus calcifications were frequent in patients with migraine and aura experience. These findings, especially hyperintense lesions on optic nerve may prompt further evaluation for possible underlying demyelinating and auto-inflammatory and/or auto-immune diseases.

Background: The vertebral arteries originate from the root of the neck as the first branches of the subclavian arteries. Variations of vertebral arteries are congenital anomalies occurring during embryonic development. Anatomic variations of the left vertebral artery are clinically symptomless and recognized incidentally during angiographic assessments or imaging techniques so the diagnosis of these anomalies is a serious challenge. Anomalous origin of vertebral arteries may lead to neurologic disorders. It is, thus, important to identify variations of the large vessels of the aortic arch when planning neck and cervical spine interventions and diagnostic radiology. For this reason, we would like to present this rare case of left vertebral artery showing a different origin. Case report: In this work, we describe a 60-year-old female patient with headache, lethargy and blurred vision. We employed magnetic resonance angiography for both the brain and neck. There was no lesion in the brain. Incidentally, we found that the root of the left vertebral artery was anatomically aberrant. The left vertebral artery arose from the nearest section of the left external carotid artery, next to the bifurcation of the left common carotid artery, which is a rare variation. Conclusion: Understanding the state of anomalous variations of the origin of the vertebral artery might have crucial implications in angiographic and surgical procedures. It is beneficial to perform more screening with noninvasive studies like neck magnetic resonance angiography in clinical cases with potential symptoms coexisting with other diseases in order to predict possible future problems in intracranial and extracranial interventions. Keywords: Vertebral artery; external carotid artery; anatomic variation; magnetic resonance angiography.