Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Abnormal brain choline/creatine ratio by MRS
HP:0012709
What it means
A deviation from normal in the ratio of choline to creatine in the brain identified by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
Creatine (Cr) is related to cell energy pathways, being both the substrate and product of creatine kinase. Creatine reflects the energy potential available in brain tissue. Its concentration in normal brain remains very high and stable due to high metabolic energy needs of brain cells. Its peak is noticed at 3.0 ppm. Creatine-Choline ratios are an important indicator of disease states such as demyelization.
Rare diseases that can present with this1
The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.