Curved planar reformation images for identification of the central sulcus of affected hemispheres. Comparison with functional magnetic resonance imaging

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the curved planar reformation (CPR) for identification of the central sulcus on affected hemispheres. Thirty four patients with an intracranial lesion adjacent to the central sulcus underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI was performed with a 3.0 Tesla scanner during repetitive opening and closing of each hand. The central sulcus was defined as the nearest sulcus to the highest activation spots. Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging date sets were processed using the CPR method to create brain surface reformatted images. We evaluated five anatomical features widely used for clinical identification of the central sulcus: 1, termination of the superior frontal sulcus in the precentral sulcus; 2, the intraparietal sulcus joining the postcentral sulcus; 3, the precentral gyros thicker than the postcentral gyrus; 4, inverted omega-shape of the precentral gyrus; and 5, the central sulcus as an isolated sulcus. fMRI and CPR coincided in defining the central sulcus in 34 hemispheres of patients. Applicability of each of the five signs was 61.8, 73.5, 58.8, 50.0 and 67.6%, respectively. The present study indicates that the CPR method successfully defined the central sulcus in most patients with brain tumors. For identification of the central sulcus, the CPR method will be recommended. (author)