T1-Weighted Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Evaluation of Different Stages of Neurocysticercosis and Its Relationship with Serum MMP-9 Expression

The granular-nodular stage of NCC with minimal edema in the right parietal region in a 32-year-old man who presented with recurrent partial seizures. The cyst appears hypointense on T2 image (A) and FLAIR image (B) with hyperintense minimal perifocal edema. C, The lesion shows nodular enhancement on a postcontrast T1-weighted image. D, On SWAN image, the lesion shows some hypointensity, which suggests minimal mineralization. On color-coded CBF [rCBF = 3.5 (E)], CBV [rCBV = 2.4 (F)], k_ep [k_ep = 1.1 minute⁻¹ (G)], K^trans [K^trans = 0.15 minutes⁻¹ (H)], and v_e [v_e = 0.16(I)] maps, the abnormal changes are clearly evident in and around the lesion.

The calcified stage of NCC without edema in the left frontal lobe in a 34-year-old woman who presented with recurrent complex partial seizures. The lesion appears hypointense on T2 image (A) and SWAN image (B) and shows a negative phase in the center with a peripheral positive phase consistent with calcified cysticercous granuloma on a filtered phase image extracted from the SWAN imaging (C). Postcontrast T1-weighted image does not show any definite enhancement (D). On color-coded CBF [rCBF = 1.5 (E)], CBV [rCBV=1.3 (F)], k_ep [k_ep = 0.8 minutes⁻¹ (G)], K^trans [K^trans = 0.02 minutes⁻¹ (H)], and v_e [v_e = 0.05 (I)] maps, the abnormal changes are clearly evident in and around the lesion.

Bar diagram shows the mean level of serum MMP-9 expression in the control and various stages of the cyst. The colloidal stage shows a significant difference from the control, vesicular, granular-nodular, and calcified stages. The granular-nodular stage shows a significant difference from the control, vesicular, colloidal, and calcified stages. It also shows no significant difference between the control, vesicular, and calcified stages.