Significance of Pontine High Signal Intensity Lesions on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Cerebral Infarction

Abstract

We reviewed MRI findings in a series of 211 patients with cerebral infarction. A high signal in the basis pontis bilaterally in T2 weighted images (Central Pontine Hyperintensity, CPH), with almost-normal T1 weighted images, was present in 29 cases (12.9%). CPH findings were present more frequently in elderly patients, and were significantly associated with a previous history of cerbrovascular accident, although not with other arteriosclerotic risk factors. In patients with CPH, periventricular hyperintensity was severe and the number of infarctions of the thalamus was higher. These results suggest that a) CPH may arise from ischemia in subcortical areas or in the territory of the vertebrobasilar system, and that b) chronic brain ischemia, which may be partially due to aging, may play a more important role in cerebral infarction than the usual arteriosclerotic risk factors.