Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2013; 23(04): 321-332
DOI: 10.4103/0971-3026.125604
Neuroradiology

MRI evaluation of pathologies affecting the corpus callosum: A pictorial essay

Aamish Z Kazi
Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
,
Priscilla C Joshi
Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
,
Abhimanyu B Kelkar
Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
,
Mangal S Mahajan
Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
,
Amit S Ghawate
Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
› Author Affiliations Financial support and sponsorship Nil.
› Further Information
Also available at
  PDF Download Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The corpus callosum is a midline cerebral structure and has a unique embryological development pattern. In this article, we describe the pathophysiology and present imaging findings of various typical/atypical conditions affecting the corpus callosum. Since many of these pathologies have characteristic appearances on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their therapeutic approaches are poles apart, ranging from medical to surgical, the neuroradiologist should be well aware of them.

Keywords

Corpus callosum - magnetic resonance imaging - pictorial essay


Publication History

Article published online:
30 July 2021

© 2013. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.
A-12, Second Floor, Sector -2, NOIDA -201301, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Barkovich AJ, Norman D. Anomalies of the corpus callosum: Correlation with further anomalies of the brain. Am J Roentgenol 1988;151:171-9.
  • 2 Hetts SW, Sherr EH, Chao S, Gobuty S, Barkovich AJ. Anomalies of the corpus callosum: An MR analysis of the phenotypic spectrum of associated malformations. Am J Roentgenol 2006;187:1343-8.
  • 3 Caruso PA, Robertson R, Setty B, Grant E. Disorders of brain development. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 197-8.
  • 4 Ketonen L, Hiwatashi A, Sidhu R. Pediatric brain and spine, an atlas of MRI and spectroscopy. 1 st ed. Berlin: Springer Verlag; 2005. p. 24.
  • 5 Tart RP, Quisling RG. Curvilinear and tubulonodular varieties of lipoma of the corpus callosum: An MR and CT study. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1991;15:805-10.
  • 6 Jardim LB, Giugliani R, Fensom AH. Thalamic and basal ganglia hyperdensities: A CT marker for globoid cell leukodystrophy? Neuropediatrics 1992;23:30-1.
  • 7 Lake BD. Lysosomal and peroxisomal disorders. In: Graham DI, Lantos PL, editors. Greenfield′s Neuropathology. London: Arnold; 1997. p. 657-753.
  • 8 Van der Knaap MS, Valk J. Globoid cell leukodystrophy: Krabbe′s disease. In: Van der knaap MS, Valk J, editors. Magnetic resonance of myelin, myelination, and myelin disorders. 2 nd ed. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1995. p. 68
  • 9 Loes DJ, Peters C, Krivit W. Globoid cell leukodystrophy: Distinguishing early-onset from late-onset disease using a brain MR imaging scoring method. Am J Neuroradiol 1999;20:316-23.
  • 10 Nusbaum AO, Rapalino O, Fung KM. White matter diseases and inherited metabolic disorders. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 414.
  • 11 Becker LE. Lysosomes peroxisomes and mitochondria: Function and disorder. Am J Neuroradiol 1992;13:621-53.
  • 12 Moser HW. Adrenoleukodystrophy: Phenotype, genetics, pathogenesis and therapy. Brain 1997;120:1485-508.
  • 13 Assies J, Gooren LJ, Van Geel B, Barth PG. Signs of testicular insufficiency in adrenomyeloneuropathy and neurologically asymptomatic X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: A retrospective study. Int J Androl 1997;20:315-21.
  • 14 Loes DJ, Fatemi A, Melhem ER, Gupte N, Bezman L, Moser HW, et al. Analysis of MRI patterns aids prediction of progression in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Neurology 2003;61:369-74.
  • 15 Ge Y, Law M, Herbert J, Grossman RI. Prominent perivenular spaces in multiple sclerosis as a sign of perivascular inflammation in primary demyelination. Am J Neuroradiol 2005;26:2316-9.
  • 16 Wilms G, Marchal G, Kersschot E, Vanhoenacker P, Demaerel P, Bosmans H, et al. Axial vs sagittal T2- weighted brain MR images in the evaluation of multiple sclerosis. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1991;15:359-64.
  • 17 Gean-Marton AD, Vezina LG, Marton KI, Stimac GK, Peyster RG, Taveras JM, et al. Abnormal corpus callosum: A sensitive and specific indicator of multiple sclerosis. Radiology 1991;180:215-21.
  • 18 Nusbaum AO, Rapalino O, Fung KM. White matter diseases and inherited metabolic disorders. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 365.
  • 19 Dietemann JL, Beigelman C, Rumbach L, Vouge M, Tajahmady T, Faubert C, et al. Multiple sclerosis and corpus callosum atrophy: relationship of MRI findings to clinical data. Neuroradiology 1988;30:478-80.
  • 20 Nusbaum AO, Rapalino O, Fung KM. White matter diseases and inherited metabolic disorders. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 373.
  • 21 Kermode AG, Tofts PS, Thompson AJ, MacManus DG, Rudge P, Kendall BE, et al. Heterogeneity of blood-brain barrier changes in multiple sclerosis: An MRI study with gadolinium-DTPA enhancement. Neurology 1990;40:229-35.
  • 22 Given CA 2 nd , Stevens BS, Lee C. The MRI appearance of tumefactive demyelinating lesions. Am J Roentgenol 2004;182:195-9.
  • 23 Dagher AP, Smirniotopoulos J. Tumefactive demyelinating lesions. Neuroradiology 1996;38:560-5.
  • 24 Masdeu JC, Moreira J, Trasi S, Visintainer P, Cavaliere R, Grundman M. The open ring: A new imaging sign in demyelinating disease. J Neuroimaging 1996;6:104-7.
  • 25 Cha S, Pierce S, Knopp EA. Dynamic contrast-enhanced T2-weighted MR imaging of tumefactive demyelinating lesions. Am J Neuroradiol 2001;22:1109-16.
  • 26 Kepes JJ. Large focal tumor-like demyelinating lesions of the brain: Intermediate entity between multiple sclerosis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis? A study of 31 patients. Ann Neurol 1993;33:18-27.
  • 27 Marchiafava E, Bignami A. On a corpus callosa alteration observed in alcoholic subjects. Riv Patol Nerv Ment 1903;8:544-9.
  • 28 Nusbaum AO, Rapalino O, Fung KM. White matter diseases and inherited metabolic disorders. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 393.
  • 29 Chang KH, Cha SH, Han MH, Park SH, Nah DL, Hong JH. Marchiafava-Bignami disease-Serial changes in corpus-callosum on MRI. Neuroradiology 1992;34:480-2.
  • 30 Ruiz-Martínez J, Martínez Pérez-Balsa A, Ruibal M, Urtasun M, Villanua J, Martí Massó JF. et al. Marchiafava-Bignami disease with widespread extracallosal lesions and favourable course. Neuroradiology 1999;41:40-3.
  • 31 Gentry LR. Head trauma. In: SW Atlas, editor. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine. New York: Raven Press; 1991. p. 436-9.
  • 32 Adams JH, Doyle D, Ford I, Gennarelli TA, Graham DI, McLellan DR. Diffuse axonal injury in head injury: Definition, diagnosis and grading. Histopathology 1989;15:49-59.
  • 33 Atlas SW, Mark AS, Grossman RI, Gomori JM. Intracranial haemorrhage: gradient-echo MR imaging at 1.5 T. Comparison with spin-echo imaging and clinical applications. Radiology 1988;168:803-7.
  • 34 Ture U, Yasargil MG, Krisht AF. The arteries of the corpus callosum: A microsurgical anatomic study. Neurosurgery 1996;39:1075-85.
  • 35 Chrysikopoulos H, Andreou J, Roussakis A, Pappas J. Infarction of the corpus callosum: Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Eur J Radiol 1997;25:2-8.
  • 36 Twomey E, Twomey A, Ryan S, Murphy J, Donoghue VB. MR imaging of term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as a predictor of neurodevelopmental outcome and late MRI appearances. Pediatr Radiol 2010;40:1526-35.
  • 37 Reifenberger G, Kros JM, Burger PC, Louis DN, Collins VP. Oligodendroglioma. In: Kleihues P, Cavenee WK, editors. Pathology and genetics of tumours of the nervous system. Lyon, France: IARC Press; 2000. p. 56-61.
  • 38 Shaw EG, Scheithauer BW, O′Fallon JR, Tazelaar HD, Davis DH. Oligodendrogliomas: The Mayo Clinic experience. J Neurosurg 1992;76:428-34.
  • 39 Vonofakos D, Marcu H, Hacker H. Oligodendrogliomas: CT patterns with emphasis on features indicating malignancy. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1979;3:783-8.
  • 40 OlsonJD, Riedel E, DeAngelis LM. Long-term outcome of low-grade oligodendroglioma and mixed glioma. Neurology 2000;54:1442-8.
  • 41 Shaw EG, Scheithauer BW, O′Fallon JR, Davis DH. Mixed oligoastrocytomas: A survival and prognostic factor analysis. Neurosurgery 1994;34:577-82; discussion 582.
  • 42 Lee C, Duncan VW, Young AB. Magnetic resonance features of the enigmatic oligodendroglioma. Invest Radiol 1998;33:222-31.
  • 43 Kim L, Hochberg FH, Thornton AF, Harsh GR 4 th , Patel H, Finkelstein D, et al. Procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy for grade III and grade IV oligoastrocytomas. J Neurosurg 1996;85:602-7.
  • 44 Perry JR, Cairncross JG. Oligodendrogliomas. J Vecht Ched. Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol. 24. New York, NY: Elsevier Science Inc.; 1997. p. 123-3.
  • 45 Perry JR, Louis DN, Cairncross J. Current Treatment of Oligodendrogliomas. Arch Neurol 1999;56:434-6.
  • 46 Kleihues P, Burger PC, Collins VP, Newcomb EW, Ohgaki H, Cavenee WK. Glioblastoma. In: Kleihues P, Cavenee WK, editors. Pathology and genetics of tumors of the nervous system. Lyon, France: IARC; 2000. p. 29-39.
  • 47 Rees JH, Smirniotopoulos JG, Jones RV, Wong K. Glioblastoma multiforme: Radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics 1996;16:1413-38; quiz 1462-3.
  • 48 Jayaraman MV, Boxerman JL. Adult brain tumors. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 487.
  • 49 Roman-Goldstein SM, Goldman DL, Howieson J, Belkin R, Neuwelt EA. MR in primary CNS lymphoma in immunologically normal patients. Am J Neuroradiol 1992;13:1207-13.
  • 50 Jack CR Jr, O′Neill BP, Banks PM, Reese DF. Central nervous system lymphoma: Histologic types and CT appearance. Radiology 1988;167:211-5.
  • 51 Erdag N, Bhorade RM, Alberico RA, Yousuf N, Patel MR. Primary lymphoma of the central nervous system: Typical and atypical CT and MR imaging appearances. Am J Roentgenol 2001;176:1319-26.
  • 52 Hochberg FH, Miller DC. Primary central nervous system lymphoma. J Neurosurg 1988;68:835-53.
  • 53 Jayaraman MV, Boxerman JL. Adult brain tumors. In: Atlas SW, editor. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the Brain and Spine. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009. p. 525.
  • 54 Takanashi J, Barkovich AJ, Yamaguchi K, Kohno Y. Influenza-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum: A case report and literature review. Am J Neuroradiol 2004;25:798-802.
  • 55 Kim SS, Chang KH, Kim ST, Suh DC, Cheon JE, Jeong SW, et al. Focal lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum in epileptic patients: Antiepileptic drug toxicity? Am J Neuroradiol 1999;20:125-9.
  • 56 Tada H, Takanashi J, Barkovich AJ, Oba H, Maeda M, Tsukahara H, et al. Clinically mild encephalitis/encephalopathywith reversible splenial lesion. Neurology 2004;63:1854-8.
  • 57 Malhotra HS, Garg RK, Vidhate MR, Sharma PK. Boomerang sign: Clinical significance of transient lesion in splenium of corpus callosum. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2012;15:151-7.
  • 58 Krause KH, Rascher W, Berlit P. Plasma arginine vasopressin concentrations in epileptics under monotherapy. J Neurol 1983;230:193-6.
  • 59 Gürtler S, Ebner A, Tuxhorn I, Ollech I, Pohlmann-Eden B, Woermann FG. Transient lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum and antiepileptic drug withdrawal. Neurology 2005;65:1032-6.
  • 60 Hackett PH, Yarnell PR, Hill R, Reynard K, Heit J, McCormick J. High-altitude cerebral edema evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging. JAMA 1998;280:1920-5.
  • 61 Conti M, Salis A, Urigo C, Canalis L, Frau S, Canalis GC. Transient focal lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum: MR imaging with an attempt to clinical-physiopathological explanation and review of the literature. Radiol Med 2007;112:921-35.
  • 62 Oster J, Doherty C, Grant PE, Simon M, Cole AJ. Diffusion-weighted imaging abnormalities in the splenium after seizures. Epilepsia 2003;44:852-4.
  • 63 Parker JC Jr, Dyer MC. Neurologic infections due to bacteria fungi, and parasites. In: Doris RL, Robertson DM, editors. Textbook of Neuropathology. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins; 1985. p. 632-703.
  • 64 Fath-Ordoubadi F, Lane RJ, Richards PG. Histological surprise: Callosal tuberculoma presenting as malignant glioma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1997;63:98-9.
  • 65 Gupta RK, Poptani H, Kohli A, Chhabra DK, Sharma B, Gujral RB. In vivo localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of intracranial tuberculomas. Indian J Med Res 1995;101:19-24.
  • 66 Al-Okaili RN, Krejza J, Wang S, Woo JH, Melhem ER. Advanced MR imaging techniques in the diagnosis of intraaxial brain tumors in adults. Radiographics 2006;26 Suppl 1:S173-89.
  • 67 Lai PH, Ho JT, Chen WL, Hsu SS, Wang JS, Pan HB, et al. Brain abscess and necrotic brain tumor: discrimination with proton MR spectroscopy and diffusion-weighted imaging. Am J Neuroradiol 2002;23:1369-77.
  • 68 Gupta RK, Prakash M, Mishra AM, Husain M, Prasad KN, Husain N. Role of diffusion weighted imaging in differentiation of intracranial tuberculoma and tuberculous abscess from cysticercus granulomas-a report of more than 100 lesions. Eur J Radiol 2005;55:384-92.
  • 69 Yang D, Korogi Y, Sugahara T, Kitajima M, Shigematsu Y, Liang L, et al. Cerebral gliomas: Prospective comparison of multivoxel 2D chemical-shift imaging proton MR spectroscopy, echoplanar perfusion and diffusion-weighted MRI. Neuroradiology 2002;44:656-66.
  • 70 Cha S. Update on brain tumor imaging: From anatomy to physiology. Am J Neuroradiol 2006;27:475-87.
  • 71 Okumura A, Kuwata K, Takenaka K, Nishimura Y, Shirakami S, Sakai N, et al. Pulsed off-resonance magnetization transfer for brain tumor in patients. Neurol Res 1998;20:313-9.
  • 72 Woff SD, Balaban RS. Magnetization transfer contrast and tissue water proton relaxation in vivo. Magn Reson Med 1989;10:135-44.
  • 73 Goebell E, Fiehler J, Siemonsen S, Vaeterlein O, Heese O, Hagel C, et al. Macromolecule content influences proton diffusibility in gliomas. Eur Radiol 2011;21:2626-32.
  • 74 Trivedi R, Saksena S, Gupta RK. Magnetic resonance imaging in central nervous system tuberculosis. Indian J Radiol Imaging 2009;19:256-65.
  • 75 Farrar DJ, Flanigan TP, Gordon NM, Gold RL, Rich JD. Tuberculous brain abscess in a patient with HIV infection: Case report and review. Am J Med 1997;102:297-301.
  • 76 Cox J, Murtagh FR, Wilfong A, Brenner J. Cerebral aspergillosis: MR imaging and histopathologic correlation. Am J Neuroradiol 1992;13:1489-92.
  • 77 Ashdown BC, Tien RD, Felsberg GJ. Aspergillosis of the brain and paranasal sinuses in immunocompromised patients: CT and MR imaging findings. Am J Roentgenol 1994;162:155-9.
  • 78 Beal MF, O′Carroll P, Kleinman GM, Grossman RI. Aspergillosis of the nervous system. Neurology 1982;32:473-9.
  • 79 DeLone DR, Goldstein RA, Petermann G, Salamat MS, Miles JM, Knechtle SJ, et al. Disseminated aspergillosis involving the brain: Distribution and imaging characteristics. Am J Neuroradiol 1999;20:1597-604.
  • 80 Almutairi BM, Nguyen TB, Jansen GH, Asseri AH. Invasive aspergillosis of the brain: Radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics 2009;29:375-9.
  • 81 Zinreich SJ, Kennedy DW, Malat J, Curtin HD, Epstein JI, Huff LC, et al. Fungal sinusitis: Diagnosis with CT and MR imaging. Radiology 1988;169:439-44.
  • 82 Harris DE, Enterline DS. Fungal infections of the central nervous system. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 1997;7:187-98.
  • 83 Suh DY, Gaskill-Shipley M, Nemann MW, Tureen RG, Warnick RE. Corpus callosal changes associated with hydrocephalus: A report of two cases. Neurosurgery 1997;41:488-94.
  • 84 Stam J. Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis: Incidence and causes in ischemic stroke. Adv Neurol 2003;92:225-32.
  • 85 Leach JL, Fortuna RB, Jones BV, Gaskill-Shipley MF. Imaging of cerebral venous thrombosis: Current techniques, spectrum of findings, and diagnostic pitfalls. Radiographics 2006;26 Suppl 1:S19-41; discussion S42-3.
  • 86 Crawford SC, Digre KB, Palmer CA, Bell DA, Osborn AG. Thrombosis of the deep venous drainage of the brain in adults. Analysis of seven cases with review of the literature. Arch Neurol 1995;52:1101-8.
  • 87 Meder JF, Chiras J, Roland J, Guinet P, Bracard S, Bargy F. Venous territories of the brain. J Neuroradiol 1994;21:118-33.
  • 88 Selim M, Fink J, Linfante I, Kumar S, Schlaug G, Caplan LR. Diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis with echo-planar T2FNx01-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Arch Neurol 2002;59:1021-6.
  • 89 Ducreux D, Oppenheim C, Vandamme X, Dormont D, Samson Y, Rancurel G, et al. Diffusion-weighted imaging patterns of brain damage associated with cerebral venous thrombosis. Am J Neuroradiol 2001;22:261-8.
  • 90 Lovblad KO, Bassetti C, Schneider J, Ozdoba C, Remonda L, Schroth G. Diffusion-weighted MRI suggests the coexistence of cytotoxic and vasogenic oedema in a case of deep cerebral venous thrombosis. Neuroradiology 2000;42:728-31.
  • 91 Keller E, Flacke S, Urbach H, Schild HH. Diffusion- and perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in deep cerebral venous thrombosis. Stroke 1999;30:1144-6.
  • 92 Koch S, Rabinstein A, Falcone S, Forteza A. Diffusion-weighted imaging shows cytotoxic and vasogenic edema in eclampsia. Am J Neuroradiol 2001;22:1068-70.