James E. Siebert1, Matthew T. Latourette1,
Michael J. Potchen1, Colleen A. Hammond1, Gretchen L.
Birbeck2, J. Kevin DeMarco1, Samuel D. Kampondeni3,
Karl B. Seydel3,4, Terrie E. Taylor3,4
1Radiology, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, MI, United States; 2International
Neurologic & Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, Michigan State University,
East Lansing, MI, United States; 3Blantyre Malaria Project,
University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; 4Internal
Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
This project investigates the potential for R2* quantitation to measure local cerebral malaria (CM) disease via R2* modulation by [hemozoin] and microhemorrhage. A 0.35T MRI scanner in Blantyre, Malawi acquired 2D GRE images at 5 TE values and R2* maps were computed. The most prevalent locations for abnormal elevated R2* values in CM patients were in the pons (100%), internal capsule (78%), and periventricular white matter (89%). R2* maps discriminated the 3 normals from 9 CM patients. These first ever CM R2* maps suggest there is a detectable R2* modulation arising from local [hemozoin] and microhemorrhage even at 0.35T.
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