Basal ganglia hyperintensity on T1-weighted MRI in Rendu-Osler-Weber disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible central nervous system (CNS) involvement in Rendu-Osler-Weber (ROW) disease in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three patients with symptomatic ROW disease underwent brain MRI. Brain MRI depicted in all three of them increased signal intensity on T1-weighted images involving the globus pallidus and cerebral crura bilaterally. Laboratory studies of the two men showed iron deficiency anemia, while all three of them had normal liver function tests and increased manganese blood concentration. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy revealed a gastric and a cecal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the first one, while pulmonary and hepatic computed tomography (CT) angiography did not detect any intrahepatic shunts. Liver ultrasound in the second one revealed dilatation of intrahepatic artery branches consistent with intrahepatic shunts, while it was normal in the third patient. Chest radiographs were normal in all three patients. Pallidal T1 hyperintensity on T1-weighted imaging may be a biomarker of manganese overload in ROW disease.