The November 2015 issue of Pediatrics includes a case study by Miller et al.  The article, MRI Brain Signal Intensity Changes of a Child During the Course of 35 Gadolinium Contrast Examinations, describes the quantitative signal intensity changes in the brain of a pediatric patient who had 35 MRIs with a linear gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) between the ages of 8 and 20 years.  The authors report that progressive increases were the most evident in the dentate nuclei, the globus pallidus, and the thalamus.  They noted that the pattern of regional brain hyperintensity observed is consistent with findings from recent adult studies.

High signal intensity in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus on unenhanced T1-weighted images was first reported by Kanda et al in late 2013 and has been found to be the result of gadolinium deposition in the brain.

Sharon Williams

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Miller, J. H., Hu, H. H., Pokorney, A., Cornejo, P., & Towbin, R. (2015). MRI Brain Signal Intensity Changes of a Child During the Course of 35 Gadolinium Contrast Examinations. Pediatrics, peds.2015–2222–. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2222

Kanda, T., Ishii, K., Kawaguchi, H., Kitajima, K., & Takenaka, D. (2013). High Signal Intensity in the Dentate Nucleus and Globus Pallidus on Unenhanced T1-weighted MR Images: Relationship with Increasing Cumulative Dose of a Gadolinium-based Contrast Material. Radiology, 131669. http://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.13131669