MR imaging related to p.m. findings in angiodysgenetic myelomalacia. A case report.

In a 65-year-old patient with slowly progressive myelopathy of the lower spinal cord MRI revealed slight thickening of the conus medullaris and discrete serpiginous areas of low signal intensity in contact to the surface of the myelon. The T2-weighted axial images demonstrated a zone of high signal intensity within the center of the lumbosacral cord. These findings corresponded to the results of autopsy: cord enlargement, dilatation of wall thickened and partially thrombosed pial veins, edema, damage of the myelin sheath with development of foam cells, areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Although myelography and spinal digital subtraction angiography had been normal in this case we assume that perhaps a spinal dural av-fistula may have been the cause of MR- and pathological findings which indicate an angiodysgenetic myelomalacia (Morbus Foix-Alajouanine). The pathogenesis of spinal dural av-fistulas is discussed in order to explain why angiography has been negative.