Magnetic resonance imaging and brain-stem auditory evoked potentials in neuro-Behcet's disease

Abstract

We studied central nervous system lesions in patients with neuro-Behcet's disease using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and recording of brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs). MRI revealed abnormal findings in seven of eight patients. MRI studies demonstrated extensive regions with high intensity signal in the brain stem and/or basal ganglia on T2-weighted images obtained during the acute stage of the disease in three patients. One of these patients had a strongly gadolinum-enhanced round lesion in the lower pons. In four of the other five patients with chronic disease, brain-stem atrophy was observed on T1-weighted images. Atrophic changes were more severe in the brain stem than in the cerebellum. Abnormal BAEPs were observed in three patients and consisted of prolongation of interpeak latency of waves III-V and defects of wave III or V. Abnormal BAEPs were recorded in patients with severe inflammatory changes or progression of atrophic changes in the brain stem. Our findings show that MRI and BAEPs are useful in detecting the presence and assessing the degree of neurological involvement in patients with neuro-Behçet's disease.

P300 and neuropsychological evaluation in Behçet’s disease with and without neurological manifestations

“…Visual (VEP), brainstem (BAEP), somatosensory (SEP) and cognitive evoked potentials are expected to be abnormal in these patients but there are studies reporting abnormal BAEP, VEP and MEP values in 31 %, 25 % and 28 % of patients with BD without neurological manifestations suggesting subclinical involvement [10,12,17]. There is only one study about P300, utilized to detect subclinical cognitive impairment in BD patients without neurological manifestations, which showed prolonged P300 latencies [8].…”

Cognitive Event-Related Potential and Neuropsychological Findings in Behcet's Disease without Neurological Manifestations

“…Early detection of neural in- volvement may provide early establishment of appropriate treatment for neuro-Behçet's disease. Visual (VEP), brainstem (BAEP), somatosensory (SEP) and cognitive evoked potentials are expected to be normal in BD patients but there are studies reporting abnormal BAEP, VEP and MEP values in 31%, 25% and 28% of patients with BD without neurological manifestations respectively suggesting subclinical involvement (Stigsby et al 1994(Stigsby et al , 2000Nakamura et al 1994;Parisi et al 1996).…”

“…Electrophysiological studies such as stimulus-related evoked potential and event-related potential may provide functional information complementary to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) about neural involvement in BD, and a high incidence of evoked potential abnormalities have been reported in patients with neurological symptoms (Besana et al 1989;Rizzo et al 1989;Nakamura et al 1994;Stigsby et al 1994). However, BD patients without neurological manifestations also frequently show abnormal Neurophysiological test results (Stigsby et al 1994(Stigsby et al , 2000Keçeci and Akyol 2001).…”

Neuro-Behcet's Disease Manifesting as a Neoplasm-Like Lesion. Case Report.

“…The typical MR imaging appearance of NBD is areas of hypointensity on T 1 -weighted imaging and hyperintensity on T 2 -weighted imaging. 15,18) Several types of infectious diseases such as tuberculoma or brain abscess are characterized by areas of hypointensity on T 2 -weighted MR imaging. However, NBD lesions have no characteristic appearance on T 2 -weighted imaging.…”

“…17) However, NBD occasionally manifests as a neoplasm-like lesion with significant mass effect. 2,4,6,[11][12][13][14][15][16] We describe a case of NBD with a large intracranial mass.…”