perivascular spacess

What ae perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia.  And what does it mean if anything if one is prominent?

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

There are, as with most tissues in the body, blood vessels that penetrate the substance of the brain, to supply the brain with blood. The small blood vessels are surrounded by a space called a perivascular space (another name for it is a  Virchow–Robin space). A prominent perivascular space is just when this space is a little larger than usual, such that it is apparent on MRI. This is very common and commonly occurs in the basal ganglia, just because of the angle that blood vessels enter in that part of the brain.

These are largely inconsequential, except that if an untrained person is reading the MRI, they may be misdiagnosed as something else like a lacunar stroke. Some research is being done into whether or not in some people dilated perivascular spaces go along with inflammation, and there are a few disorders that can have dilated perivascular spaces as part of them (not as a cause of them, but just more frequently seen in them), such as certain infections and metabolic disorders, but these are rare and there will always be associated abnormalities on MRI (not just the prominent perivascular space).

Discussion of your questions regarding your MRI findings with the ordering physician is recommended.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.