Abstract:

Purpose: Our aim is to investigate whether there is an early onset of dementia in the presence of T2 hyperintensities in periventricular, subcortical white matter in young asymptomatic patients. For this purpose, we planned to measure the diameter of temporal horns as the temporal horns of the lateral ventricles enlarge especially in Alzheimer's disease. Materials and methods: We examined 45 patients aged 30-49 years. Patients who did not have a known disease and who underwent cranial magnetic resonance (MR) for any reason were included in the study. Patients were examined whether hyperintensity in white matter in T2 and FLAIR sequences. In patients with T2 hyperintensities, both temporal horn widths were measured and mediated of temporal horns collected. Results: Thirty two of the patients were female, 13 were male. Twenty-three of 45 patients had hyperintense lesions in T2 and FLAIR sequences in white matter. In 22 patients, there was no pathological signal in the white matter. The temporal horn width was found 2.6 mm in the patients with T2 hyperintensity and 2.16 mm in the control group. Although the temporal horn width was within normal limits in both groups, it was found higher in patients with T2 hyperintensity. Conclusion: There are many publications showing that there is a strong association between white matter hyperintensities and stroke, dementia and mortality. In our study, in the young age group patients with T2-FLAIR hyperintense white matter lesions increased the temporal horn diameter compared to the normal group. The high diameter may be significant in terms of early signs of dementia and atrophy.