S Terae1, H Taneichi, K Abumi. 1. Department of Radiology, Kushiro Rosai Hospital, Kushiro City, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We assessed the MR appearance of wallerian degeneration following spinal cord injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the MR examinations of 13 patients with spinal cord injury. Thirty-one MR examinations were performed at various time intervals (1 day to 4 years) following injury. RESULTS: High signal intensity was observed in six patients (11 examinations) at the level of the posterior columns cephalad to the primary injury site on T2-weighted and proton density-weighted imaging at 10 week to 12 month intervals postinjury. In these six patients the posterior column was involved at the primary injury site. CONCLUSION: The abnormal intensity cephalad to the injury site is thought to represent wallerian degeneration, which should be considered in the differential diagnoses of spinal intramedullary lesions.
OBJECTIVE: We assessed the MR appearance of wallerian degeneration following spinal cord injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the MR examinations of 13 patients with spinal cord injury. Thirty-one MR examinations were performed at various time intervals (1 day to 4 years) following injury. RESULTS: High signal intensity was observed in six patients (11 examinations) at the level of the posterior columns cephalad to the primary injury site on T2-weighted and proton density-weighted imaging at 10 week to 12 month intervals postinjury. In these six patients the posterior column was involved at the primary injury site. CONCLUSION: The abnormal intensity cephalad to the injury site is thought to represent wallerian degeneration, which should be considered in the differential diagnoses of spinal intramedullary lesions.
Authors: T P Duprez; M Gille; B C Vande Berg; J Malghem; C B Grandin; P Michel; S Ghariani; B E Maldague Journal: Neuroradiology Date: 1996-08 Impact factor: 2.804