[Magnetic resonance imaging in agenesis of the corpus callosum].

The recent use of computed tomography (CT) scan is providing an easy diagnoses of agenesis of corpus callosum which had been difficult to diagnose only by clinical signs and symptoms. Since, more neuropsychological studies on agenesis of corpus callosum are being done, clinical details of agenesis of corpus callosum are being clarified. We examined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 3 patients who were suspected to have agenesis of corpus callosum by CT scan. And we studied the usefulness of MRI in agenesis of corpus callosum. Case 1. We studied a thirty-two-year-old right-handed man with a one-year history of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He had no callosal disconnection syndrome. CT scan on horizontal view showed dilated third ventricle, the dilatation of the occipital horns and wide separation of the lateral ventricles. On coronal view, CT scan showed the absence of the corpus callosum, the concave mesial borders of the lateral ventricle, the dilatation of the third ventricle and its abnormal dorsal extent(bat-wing appearance). On sagittal MRI (the inversion recovery technique), the corpus callosum was absent and the convolutions and sulci were arranged radically centering the third ventricle (radial distribution). But the anterior commissure was preserved. Case 2. We studied a fourty-one-year-old right-handed man with a seven-year history of hyper ventilation syndrome. He had no callosal disconnection syndrome. CT scan showed the similar findings as those of case 1. On sagittal MRI (the inversion recovery technique), the corpus callosum was absent, and the convolutions and sulci showed radial distribution. But the anterior commissure was preserved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)