Periventricular high signal lesions and signal void on magnetic resonance imaging in hydrocephalus. Diagnostic and prognostic significance.

Overview

The presence of periventricular high signal lesions and ventricular signal void was tabulated and compared in three groups: patients with unshunted hydrocephalus (n = 24), cerebral atrophy (n = 14), and a subgroup of treated hydrocephalus subjects studied both pre- and post-shunting (n = 6). We found that T2 high signal lesions and ventricular signal void are common in both hydrocephalus and atrophy and are of no value in distinguishing between the two. The pre-treatment presence or absence of periventricular high signal lesions and signal void were of no use in predicting the clinical outcome of shunting in hydrocephalus.