Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Tractography in the Evaluation of Congenital and Acquired Diseases of the Pediatric Visual System

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging is a topic of active research, and is in constant development. Though state-of-the-art methods may not be practical for routine clinical use, small numbers of directional motionprobing gradients and relatively simple post-processing methods can yield clinically important information. Here we discuss the use of routinely acquired six-direction DTI of the brain at 3T to retrospectively study pathologies of the pediatric visual system. We discuss the use of DTI to investigate the effects of suprasellar tumors on pre-chiasmatic and chiasmatic optic nerves, and to diagnose and monitor septo-optic dysplasia and neurofibromatosis type 1. DTI can serve as a tool in surgical planning and pre-biopsy differential diagnosis. In congenital disease involving the white matter, DTI may prove useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of these conditions as they impact the pediatric visual system.