J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Apr;30(4):639-642.

MR Findings of Subacute Necrotizing Myelopathy: Case Report

• Han MH
• Chang KH
• Na DG
• Kim H
• Kim CJ
• Chi JG

Abstract

PURPOSE
Subacute necrotizing myelopathy(SNM) is a rare non-tumorous disease of spinal cord characterized by subacute clinical course of progressive neurological deterioration. We report MR findings of a patient with pathologically proved SNM.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
1 case of pathologically proved subacute necrotizing myelopathy.
RESULTS
The patient was a 56-year-old man with progressive motor weakness and sensory loss of the lower extremities, and urinary and fecal incontinence for 11 months. Spine MRI revealed diffuse enlargement of the thoracic spinal cord from T2 to T7 level. Signal intensity of the expanded spinal cord was isointense relative to normal cord on T1 -weighted image and hyperintense on proton-density and T2-weighted images. On contrast enhanced T1-weighted image, there was diffuse homogeneous enhancement in the expanded cord lesion.
CONCLUSION
MR demonstration of stable persistence of spinal cord lesion or atrophy over months or years with clinical findings of radual progressive neurologic deterioration may be helpful in the diagnosis of SN M(1 ).

MeSH Terms

Atrophy
Diagnosis
Fecal Incontinence
Humans
Lower Extremity
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Diseases*
Spine