Corpus callosum hypersignals and focal atrophy: neuroimaging findings in globular glial tauopathy type I.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nGlobular glial tauopathies (GGT) have heterogeneous presentations, little evidence regarding typical clinical and MRI presentations are available.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe retrospectively assessed MRIs from three postmortem confirmed GGT cases, in two patients with atypical progressive aphasia and one with corticobasal syndrome.\n\n\nRESULTS\nWe suggest four principal concomitant MRI findings to characterize GGT type I: a sagittal callosal hyperintense band, marked focal callosal atrophy suggesting white matter degeneration originating in cortical areas responsible for symptoms (anterior atrophy in predominantly language manifestations and posterior atrophy in predominantly apraxia), periventricular white matter lesions, and mild-to-moderate brainstem atrophy.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nWe observed four concomitant MRI abnormalities in patients with atypical dementia, parkinsonism, and late incomplete supranuclear gaze palsy. Two patients had atypical progressive aphasia and one had corticobasal syndrome.