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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Dec 1.

Published in final edited form as: Mitochondrion. 2008 May 23;8(5-6):396–413. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2008.05.003

Axial MR images in a child with MELAS lesions. Patient is a 10 year old boy with a complex I and III defect without the mitochondrial DNA mutation at position 3243. Although he has phenotypic MELAS, he has another unknown genotypic etiology of MELAS. Axial FLAIR imaging through the level of the midbrain (Figure 2A) and basal ganglia (Figure 2B) demonstrates hyperintense lesions bilaterally in the thalami and occipital cortex as well as an extensive area of abnormality involving the left posterior temporal- parietal lobe and a small area in the right parietal operculum. Corresponding diffusion weighted images (Figure 2C and Figure 2D) demonstrate restricted diffusion in the right thalamic, right opercular and left temporal-parietal lesions consistent with acute ischemia, but not in occiptial and left thalamic area abnormal on the FLAIR imaging, suggesting these are likely older lesions. Note also that the diffusion abnormality in the temporal-parietal lesion is concentrated in the gray matter.

Axial MR images in a child with MELAS lesions. Patient is a 10 year old boy with a complex I and III defect without the mitochondrial DNA mutation at position 3243. Although he has phenotypic MELAS, he has another unknown genotypic etiology of MELAS. Axial FLAIR imaging through the level of the midbrain (Figure 2A) and basal ganglia (Figure 2B) demonstrates hyperintense lesions bilaterally in the thalami and occipital cortex as well as an extensive area of abnormality involving the left posterior temporal- parietal lobe and a small area in the right parietal operculum. Corresponding diffusion weighted images (Figure 2C and Figure 2D) demonstrate restricted diffusion in the right thalamic, right opercular and left temporal-parietal lesions consistent with acute ischemia, but not in occiptial and left thalamic area abnormal on the FLAIR imaging, suggesting these are likely older lesions. Note also that the diffusion abnormality in the temporal-parietal lesion is concentrated in the gray matter.