Diminished Visibility of Cerebral Venous Vasculature in Subclinical Status Epilepticus by Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging: A Case Report

Focal hemodynamic patterns of status epilepticus detected by susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI)

“…Our findings corroborate with findings in a patient recently described in a case report [24], where the whole right hemisphere was hyperperfused and cortical veins in SWI were pseudo-diminished during assumed NCSE.…”

“…Since focal parenchymal areas are expected to be hyperperfused during seizure activity, an opposite effect with correlating pseudo-narrowing of cortical veins would be expected in case of a lower deoxyhaemoglobin content, and therefore decreased paramagnetic properties. To our knowledge only one case report by Lee et al [24] has described this phenomenon. Our retrospective study was undertaken to investigate whether pseudo-narrowed or pseudo-diminished cortical veins in SWI are a finding that could be diagnostically useful for detecting ictal activity.…”

Susceptibility‐weighted imaging in acute‐stage pediatric convulsive disorders

“…10 We speculate that sufficiently strong seizures and concomitant increased CMRO 2 in the brain might result in decreased BOLD response and possible hypoxia under some circumstances. The present observations, along with recently published reports, 5,7 suggest a complex, non-linear relationship between BOLD signal and hemodynamic and neuronal activity under pathologic circumstances. We speculate that the simultaneous use of MRA with SWI could facilitate understanding of the correlation between cerebral perfusion and intravascular deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration in epileptic foci during the acute stage of convulsive disorders.…”

“…Although SWI is broadly accepted as a useful method to monitor stroke, trauma, vascular malformations, and tumors, 4 the clinical use of SWI in patients with acute prolonged seizures was reported in only two case reports with opposite SWI findings 5,6 and in one case series, 7 and the clinical significance of SWI in seizure disorders remains unclear.…”

Brain Susceptibility Weighted Imaging Signal Changes in Acute Hemorrhagic Anemia: An Experimental Study Using a Rabbit Model

“…SWI is known as high-resolution blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) venographic imaging [13], and can reflect oxygen metabolism-related blood protein concentrations. This technology can produce clear images of cerebral venules, and may be used to detect strokes and microbleeds [11,14–16]. SWI is potentially a novel, non-invasive method for sensing changes in cerebral oxygen levels and may provide more detailed information on cerebral blood flow in patients with hemorrhage [17].…”