J Korean Soc Spine Surg.  2013 Jun;20(2):64-66. 10.4184/jkss.2013.20.2.64.

Acute Spinal Cord Infarction: Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging: Case Report

• Yang HD
• Oh SK
• Shim DM

• KMID: 1430377
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4184/jkss.2013.20.2.64

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: A case report.
OBJECTIVE
We present a rare case of acute spinal cord infarction and usefulness of diffusion weighted MR imaging. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: T1-weighted and T2-weighted images are often normal in a patient with acute spinal cord infarction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An 82-year-old presented with acute onset of paraplegia and urinary retention. His symptoms developed 6 days ago without any trauma. He had a history of vertebroplasty due to compression fracture of 12th thoracic vertebral body 6 years ago. There was no evidence of spinal cord compression on routine T1-and T2-weighted MRI.
RESULTS
In diffusion-weighted MRI, a high intensity signal intensity lesion in the spinal cord and conus medullaris was observed.
CONCLUSION
We report an example for the usefulness of diffusion-weighted image for early and accurate diagnosis of acute spinal cord infarction.

Keyword

Spinal cord; Infarction; Diffusion-MRI

MeSH Terms

Conus Snail
Diffusion
Fractures, Compression
Humans
Infarction
Paraplegia
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Compression
Urinary Retention
Vertebroplasty

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. (A) T2-weighted sagittal image shows a strip like intramedullary high-signal intensity in the spinal cord. (B) and T1-weighted image shows no remarkable signal changes in the cord. (C) An axial T2-weighted image at the level of T12 show an symmetric intramedullary hyperintensy lesion. (D) An axial T1-weighted image at the level of T12 shows no abnormal signal changes.

• 

  Fig. 2. (A) A sagittal diffusion-weighted image shows marked high signal intensity lesion at the corresponding area at the level of T12 (arrow) (B) The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map image shows a low-signal intensity at the same area (arrow)

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