CSF flow patterns in the brain in patients with neuro-Behçet disease and Behçet disease

S. Ünlü, M. Doğan, Y. Kapicioğlu, S. Kamişli, S. Öner, İ.O. Yildirim, M. Öztürk

Department of Radiology. Malatya Public Hospital, Malatya, Turkey. serkanunlu19@yahoo.com

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• Neurology

OBJECTIVE: In the etiopathogenesis of Behcet disease (BD) and Neuro-Behcet disease (NBD), vascular eclipse occurs in both the arteries and veins. The disease affects all vascular structures. The present study evaluates the use of Phase Contrast (PC) Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a non-invasive technique for measuring CSF dynamics, for determining the level of aqueducts that are influenced in BD and NBD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The quantitative evaluation of CSF flow in BD and NBD was performed using images obtained at the level of the cerebral aqueduct on the semi-axial plane. The PC-MRI angiography technique was used.

RESULTS: There is no distinctive difference between BD and NBD that can be distinguished by the aqueduct diameters of both conditions. A clear increase in aqueduct diameter occurred BD and NBD group when compared to the control group. While there were no differences found between the BD group and the control group regarding peak velocity, average velocity, forward flow, reverse flow, net forward flow, and flow, there were distinctive increases in these various factors in the NBD group.

CONCLUSIONS: Using the non-invasive PC-MRI technique, this study found that in BD and NBD patients, changes occurred in CSF flow figures. Increases in CSF parameters were also observed in NBD patients, a finding which may be helpful for future distinction between BD and NBD during diagnosis.

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