Magnetic resonance imaging and brain volume measurement in takayasu arteritis patients

Background and aim: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate takayusu arteritis patients conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRG) findings and volume of their brain structures, measured by Volbrain method. Material and method: Thirty-five takayasu arteritis (TA) patients who have applied to our hospital's romotology clinic and a control group, consisting of 27 healthy individual whose ages and genders are compatible with the TA patients who have not stroke in their medical history, and who will be compared with them in terms of volumes of brain structures, were included in the study. MRG performed on patients and control group. Results: In twentyfive percent of patients (n=9), stroke was observed. %88,8 (n=8) of strokes were ischemic type. In %20 (n=7) of patients, periventricular, in %28,5 (n=10) of the deep white cevher signal changings were observed. In %23 (n=6) of patients who have no stroke in their medical history, there was white cevher signal changing. In volume MRG, performed on patients, amount of BOS, serebellar white matter and globus pallidus meaningful volumetric changings(p<0,05) were found between patient and control groups. It was calculated that total brain volume of both groups' and proportional correlation of brain structures was found and it was mentioned with the percent values. In comparision of the brain structures in percent; in rates of the BOS, subcortical grey matter, total white matter, right-left and total serebrum, right-left and total serebrum white matter, right-left and total serebellar white matter, right-left and total globus pallidus, right-left and total hypocampus, right-left and total thalamus meaningful statistical (p<0,05) differences were determined. Conclusion: In our study brain volume changes, which couldn't have been determined by conventional MRG, was determined quantitively on TA patients in comparision with the control group. In the following up of TA patients, usage of brain MRG and volbrain, in addition to vascular imaging, can be useful for the early determination of nuerological complications of the patients who has stroke risk rate up to %25. Keywords: Takayasu Arteritis, measurement of brain volume, volbrain, vol2brain.