Cerebral Hemodynamics in Patients with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Assessed by Susceptibility Weighted Imaging and Four-Dimensional Non-Contrast MR Angiography

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and neurological symptoms performed during an epidemic outbreak of Escherichia coli O104:H4 in Northern Europe has previously shown pathological changes in only approximately 50% of patients. In contrast, susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) revealed a loss of venous contrast in a large number of patients. We hypothesized that this observation may be due to an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and aimed to identify a plausible cause.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Baseline 1.5T MRI scans of 36 patients (female, 26; male, 10; mean age, 38.2±19.3 years) were evaluated. Venous contrast was rated on standard SWI minimum intensity projections. A prototype four-dimensional (time resolved) magnetic resonance angiography (4D MRA) assessed cerebral hemodynamics by global time-to-peak (TTP), as a surrogate marker for CBF. Clinical parameters studied were hemoglobin, hematocrit, creatinine, urea levels, blood pressure, heart rate, and end-tidal CO2.

RESULTS: SWI venous contrast was abnormally low in 33 of 36 patients. TTP ranged from 3.7 to 10.2 frames (mean, 7.9 ± 1.4). Hemoglobin at the time of MRI (n = 35) was decreased in all patients (range, 5.0 to 12.6 g/dL; mean, 8.2 ± 1.4); hematocrit (n = 33) was abnormally low in all but a single patient (range, 14.3 to 37.2%; mean, 23.7 ± 4.2). Creatinine was abnormally high in 30 of 36 patients (83%) (range, 0.8 to 9.7; mean, 3.7 ± 2.2). SWI venous contrast correlated significantly with hemoglobin (r = 0.52, P = 0.0015), hematocrit (r = 0.65, P < 0.001), and TTP (r = 0.35, P = 0.036). No correlation of SWI with blood pressure, heart rate, end-tidal CO2, creatinine, and urea level was observed. Findings suggest that the loss of venous contrast is related to an increase in CBF secondary to severe anemia related to HUS. SWI contrast of patients with pathological conventional MRI findings was significantly lower compared to patients with normal MRI (mean SWI score, 1.41 and 2.05, respectively; P = 0.04). In patients with abnormal conventional MRI, mean TTP (7.45), mean hemoglobin (7.65), and mean hematocrit (22.0) were lower compared to patients with normal conventional MRI scans (mean TTP = 8.28, mean hemoglobin = 8.63, mean hematocrit = 25.23).

CONCLUSION: In contrast to conventional MRI, almost all patients showed pathological changes in cerebral hemodynamics assessed by SWI and 4D MRA. Loss of venous contrast on SWI is most likely the result of an increase in CBF and may be related to the acute onset of anemia. Future studies will be needed to assess a possible therapeutic effect of blood transfusions in patients with HUS and neurological symptoms.