Diffusion tensor imaging for predicting the clinical outcome of delayed encephalopathy of acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between neuropsychiatric outcomes and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP). Methods and Materials: 66 patients and 60 healthy controls were included in this study. Median fractional anisotropy (FA) of the white matter (WM) bilaterally was compared between patients and healthy controls. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) was assessed at 4-6 months following DEACMP. The association between the GOS score and FA variables was explored using the Spearman rank correlation. Results: The FA values in WM were reduced in patients with DEACMP compared with those in the volunteers. Of the 66 patients, 21 (31.8%) achieved a good outcome (GOS-5), 26 (36.4%) had moderate disability (GOS-4), 14 (21.2%) had severe disability (GOS-3), 5 (7.6%) were in a vegetative state (GOS-2), and none of the patients died (GOS-1). The FA values in the WM in patients with DEACMP correlated significantly with GOS. Conclusion: DTI may be a valuable tool for assessing the severity of brain injury and may be a predictor of outcome in patients with delayed encephalopathy of acute carbon monoxide poisoning. DTI may be a valuable tool for assessing the severity of tissue injury and may be a predictor of outcome. Copyright (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel