T2* Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequences Reflect Brain Tissue Iron Deposition Following Intracerebral Hemorrhage

The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* sequences as a measure of iron overload in the brain following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We examined the time course of T2* changes in the brain around intracerebral hemorrhages in a series of patients. We also performed a series of experiments in an animal model of ICH, examining the time course of T2* changes along with correlation of these changes with histological markers of ferric iron deposition. We found that T2* changes in the brain occur with increasing intensity and spatial distribution over a 3-month period. Experimental ICH in the rat model induces similar changes, and these changes correlate tightly with histological markers of ferric iron deposition. MRI T2* changes after ICH can be used to measure the degree of iron overload in the brain. The T2* sequence may be useful as a measure of interventions aimed at reducing ICH-related brain injury by reducing iron deposition.