INTRODUCTION: Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. METHODS: Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. RESULTS: An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. CONCLUSION: No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis.
INTRODUCTION: Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. METHODS: Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. RESULTS: An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. CONCLUSION: No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxiapatients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis.
Authors: M J Martínez-González; S Martínez-González; A García-Ribes; S Mintegi-Raso; J Benito-Fernández; J M Prats-Viñas Journal: Rev Neurol Date: 2006 Mar 16-31 Impact factor: 0.870
Authors: E Hennes; S Zotter; L Dorninger; H Hartmann; M Häusler; P Huppke; J Jacobs; V Kraus; C Makowski; K Schlachter; H Ulmer; A van Baalen; J Koch; T Gotwald; K Rostasy Journal: Neuropediatrics Date: 2012-08-30 Impact factor: 1.947
Authors: G Orman; S F Kralik; N K Desai; A Meoded; H Sangi-Haghpeykar; G Jallo; E Boltshauser; T A G M Huisman Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2021-09-30 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: Jie Yu; Yuanming Fan; Li Wang; Yanjuan Huang; Jingyi Xia; Le Ding; Chun-Feng Wu; Xiaopeng Lu; Gaoxiang Ma; Samuel Kim; Guo Zheng; Hu Guo; Gang Zhang Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2019-09-20 Impact factor: 4.003