Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Anatomy, CNS, Neuroradiology brain, MR, Education, Cerebrospinal fluid
Authors:
J. Thompson, J. Gajera, D. Brazier, J. Drummond; Sydney, NSW/AU
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2021/R-0512
Background
Perivascular spaces (PVS), or Virchow-Robin spaces, surround penetrating blood vessels of the brain allowing the flow of interstitial fluid (ISF) and have a role in brain “glymphatics” analogous to systemic lymphatic drainage. Although universally seen at 7T, PVS are most commonly microscopic and often not resolved on ≤3 Tesla magnets. PVS classically demonstrate CSF signal characteristics on all sequences when seen. Previous studies have reported correlations between the degree of dilatation and the quantity of visible PVS in a wide variety of clinical conditions as well as in normal brain. It is thought that progressive PVS dilatation reflects glymphatic dysfunction and reduced flow of interstitial fluid, resulting in waste product accumulation in varying regions of the brain.