Apparent diffusion coefficient echoplanar imaging maps of the optic nerves in childhood idiopathic intracranial hypertension

ABSTRACT Background and Purpose Dueto motion artifacts, optic nerve (ON) findings of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) can easily be overlooked on T2‐weighted (T2w) turbo spin‐echo sequence. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map derived from the interleaved multi‐shot (IMS) echoplanar imaging (EPI) to the ON findings of IIH in children. Methods MRIs of 42 pediatric patients aged 3‐17 years diagnosed with definite IIH according to modified Dandy criteria were retrospectively re‐evaluated, between April 2018 and January 2021. Forty‐two age‐ and sex‐matched subjects with no IIH symptoms and reported as normal were included as a control group. Results ON sheath distance (ONSD) on the ADC map (p = .005) and vertical tortuosity (p = .030) were significant single MRI parameters for predicting IIH. Other single parameters were not statistically significant. Flattening of the posterior sclera (FPS) and ON protrusion (ONP) were observed on ADC maps more frequently than T2w (42.8% vs. 19% and 19% vs. 4.7%, respectively). From combined MRI parameters, the presence of at least one of ONP, FPS, or ONSD on ADC maps (p = .001) showed greater significance than the presence of T2w (p = .048). The predictive values of other MRI findings evaluated together were not statistically significant (p > .05). Conclusions This study's results show that due to the short readout time and less sensitivity to motion, the ADC map obtained from IMS‐EPI can contribute to orbital findings of IIH, in addition to T2w.