Abstract
Background and purpose
Patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) often show the loss of the swallow tail sign, which reflects degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and iron accumulation in the substantia nigra pars compacta, and peculiar neuroradiologic signs that are, respectively, asymmetrical frontoparietal atrophy and midbrain atrophy. A T2* hypointense rim likely reflecting presence and distribution of neuroinflammation has been recently reported in the frontal cortex of patients with CBS. Here we investigated: 1) the frequency of conventional radiologic signs associated with CBS and PSP and 2) presence, distribution, and frequency of the T2* signal hypointensity in the frontal cortex in patients with CBS and PSP. In addition, we explored possible associations between T2* hypointensity in the frontal cortex and clinical symptoms.Materials and methods
Sixty-two patients were retrospectively included in the study (14 CBS and 48 PSP). Two neuroradiologists inspected the 3T MR data sets and recorded the presence/absence of: asymmetric frontoparietal atrophy, midbrain atrophy, loss of the swallow tail sign, and T2* hypointensity of the frontal cortex.Results
Asymmetrical frontoparietal atrophy and T2* hypointensity in the frontal cortex were more frequent in patients with CBS (P P Conclusions
The T2* signal hypointensity in the frontal cortex may be an additional radiologic sign to be assessed in patients with atypical parkinsonism. Its distribution across the frontal gyri likely reflects clinical symptoms. The pathologic assessment of CBS cases would support the robustness of these results.