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What Are White Matter Striations?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling condition affecting the human brain. The most frequently involved structure of the brain is the corpus callosum, which the disease affects early on. White matter striations appear in areas adjacent to the subependymal veins lining the ventricular surface. Striations in other areas of the brain are present in forms of epilepsy. Other striations, which are narrow, linear markings, appear in brain areas showing iron metabolism.

  1. Subcallosal Striations of Multiple Sclerosis

    • White matter striations include subependymal striations measuring 1mm thick and lying perpendicular to the ependyma, a portion of the brain near the ventricles. These were noted in fast fluid-attenuated immersion-recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging tests done to determine how effective using MR was in the detection of subcallosal striations of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Routine MR imaging picks up larger, ovoid white matter lesions known as MS placques. The findings with fast FLAIR imaging are able to detect these earlier signs of MS.

    The "Dot-Dash" Sign

    • These white matter striations appear as an irregularity on the corpus callosum's underside and are defined as having at least two "dots" connected by a "dash." On FLAIR images, the "dot" is an irregularity of the under-surface of the ependyma, with a diameter larger than the thickness of the "dash" adjacent to it. The "dash" is the normal ependymal stripe remaining. The Dot-Dash sign is not oriented perpendicular to the ependyma, which helps distinguish it from other multiple sclerosis signs such as subcallosal striations or ovoid lesions.

    Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

    • In patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, a type of seizure disorder, a sclerosis affects the hippocampal region of the brain. This is evident on MR imaging as a continuous band of intra-hippocampal white matter on the banks of the hippocampal sulcus. Physicians consider this sign indicative of hippocampal sclerosis and as a hallmark of this type of epilepsy.

    Other Instances of White Matter Striation

    • In a study regarding iron levels in developing rat brains, the clustering of iron-positive cells around blood vessels gave the brain's white matter a striated appearance. Studies show that both iron uptake and iron concentration in the brain are relatively high during neonatal development. The establishment of normal iron levels in the neonatal brain is critical for normal neurological development. This histochemical study was done to decide whether the pattern of iron development at the cellular level in the rat forebrain was consistent with that reported for oligodendrocytes in the adult, human brain. The results indicated that oligodendrocytes play a major role in the development of iron homeostasis in the brain.

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