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Pallidal lesions in patients with liver cirrhosis: clinical and MRI evaluation
Weissenborn K, Ehrenheim C, Hori A, Kubicka S, Manns MP.. Metabolic brain disease, 1995-09-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Fifty patients with liver cirrhosis underwent neurological, psychometric, electroencephalographic and biochemical examination as well as cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the incidence of pallidal lesions in cirrhotics and their correlation to liver function, as well as to neurological and mental state. In one patient a histopathological study of the brain was performed. The vast majority of the patients with liver cirrhosis (92%) present with bilateral symmetric pallidal hyperintensities in the T1-weighted MR spin echo sequence, while the T2-weighted images are normal. On the whole there was no correlation between the signal intensity of the pallidal lesions and measures of liver function, neurological status or grade of encephalopathy. As could be shown in follow-up examinations the signal intensity of the lesions increased with decreasing liver function and decreased with normalization of liver function after liver transplantation. The substrate of the lesions remains unclear. However, regions which show alterations in the MRI are histopathologically characterized by the appearance of Alzheimer-type-II cells.
Key findings
- The vast majority of the patients with liver cirrhosis (92%) present with bilateral symmetric pallidal hyperintensities in the T1-weighted MR spin echo sequence, while the T2-weighted images are normal.
- On the whole there was no correlation between the signal intensity of the pallidal lesions and measures of liver function, neurological status or grade of encephalopathy.
- As could be shown in follow-up examinations the signal intensity of the lesions increased with decreasing liver function and decreased with normalization of liver function after liver transplantation.
- The substrate of the lesions remains unclear.
- However, regions which show alterations in the MRI are histopathologically characterized by the appearance of Alzheimer-type-II cells.
Why it matters
This study of liver cirrhosis patients found bilateral pallidal hyperintensities on T1-weighted MRI in 92% of cases, with signal intensity increasing as liver function declined and decreasing after liver transplantation. The lesions' cause remained unclear, and the findings concern liver disease rather than Alzheimer's disease treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Metabolic brain disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Metabolic Brain Disease: journal h-index 101 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1995 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 117 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.5 citations a year over 33 year(s) since 1995 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Michael Peter Manns: h-index 166 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Medizinische Hochschule Hannover: institution h-index 727 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 8830282) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Weissenborn, K., Ehrenheim, C., Hori, A., Kubicka, S., & Manns, M. P. (1995). Pallidal lesions in patients with liver cirrhosis: clinical and MRI evaluation. Metabolic brain disease. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02081027
Vancouver
Weissenborn K, Ehrenheim C, Hori A, Kubicka S, Manns MP. Pallidal lesions in patients with liver cirrhosis: clinical and MRI evaluation. Metabolic brain disease. 1995. doi:10.1007/bf02081027. PMID: 8830282.
BibTeX
@article{weissenborn1995-8830282,
author = {Weissenborn, K. and Ehrenheim, C. and Hori, A. and Kubicka, S. and Manns, M. P.},
title = {{Pallidal lesions in patients with liver cirrhosis: clinical and MRI evaluation}},
journal = {Metabolic brain disease},
year = {1995},
doi = {10.1007/bf02081027},
pmid = {8830282},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02081027}
}
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