Tuberous sclerosis MRI

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis as it can find the same abnormalities found on CT scan which are described above, some of them with much more detail, but it is especially useful for evaluating white matter changes seen in the disease.

MRI

MRIs may be helpful in the diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis. It can diagnose basically the same changes as the CT:

• Cortical or subependymal tubers;
• White matter abnormalities;
• Subependymal hamartomas;
• Subependymal giant cell astrocytomas;
• Renal angiomyolipomas;
• Renal cysts;
• Renal cell carcinoma (associated with tuberous sclerosis);
• Retroperitoneal lymphangiomyomatosis;
• Gastrointestinal polyps;
• Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors;
• Lymphangioleiomyomatosis;
• Multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia;
• Cardiac rhabdomyomas.

MRI Examples of Tuberous Sclerosis

MRI of the brain in a patient with TSC.