This patient has an autosomal dominant degenerative disease characterised by diffuse brain atrophy, as seen on the MRI images. Which basal ganglia has a prominent atrophy in this condition and is used to assess the progression of the disease by measurements indexes?
Huntington disease is characterised by a diffuse cerebral atrophy, marked in the caudate nuclei and putamen. The caudate nuclei heads are used together with the lateral ventricles to evaluate the disease progression.
Which are these indexes?
The frontal horn width to intercaudate distance ratio (FH/CC) and the intercaudate distance to inner table width ratio (CC/IT).
Technique: Multiplanar, multisequence images have been obtained through the brain as a neurodegenerative protocol.
Findings: Changes compatible with Huntington disease once again noted with caudate atrophy and enlargement of the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles. The degree of atrophy has mildly progressed, with increased in the caudate:inner table ratio of 0.25 and decreased frontal horn:intercaudate ratio of 1.46. The arterial spin labelling perfusion demonstrates globally reduced perfusion (not shown).
Small area of speckled susceptibility artefact superior to the frontal horn of the right lateral ventricle with a linear vessel adjacent to it may represent a tiny cavernoma with a developmental venous anomaly.
Conclusion: Progressive caudate atrophy and globally reduced perfusion.