Perirolandic cortex of the normal brain: low signal intensity on turbo FLAIR MR images.

Abstract

To evaluate the signal intensity (SI) characteristics of the perirolandic cortex (PRC) in the neurologically normal population on turbo fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) images. Turbo FLAIR MR images of 112 neurologically normal patients were evaluated retrospectively. SI of the PRC was graded by consensus of both authors as isointense (grade 0), mildly hypointense (grade 1), or definitely hypointense (grade 2) when compared to the SI of the superior frontal cortex. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance tests were used for the statistical analysis of the differences in grades between the two sexes and between the age groups, respectively. PRC was isointense (grade 0) in six (5%) and hypointense (grade 1 or 2) in 106 (95%) of 112 patients. The difference in grades was statistically significant between age groups (P <.001). Grade 0 was encountered most often in older patients and grade 2 in younger patients. There was no significant difference in grades between age-matched groups of male and female patients (P =.66). On turbo FLAIR images the PRC generally has a low SI in the neurologically normal brain, and this helps as an additional landmark in identifying the sensorimotor cortex.