TY - JOUR
T1 - Spinal cord infarction due to fibrocartilaginous embolization
T2 - The role of diffusion weighted imaging and short-tau inversion recovery sequences
AU - Manara, Renzo
AU - Calderone, Milena
AU - Severino, Maria Savina
AU - Citton, Valentina
AU - Toldo, Irene
AU - Laverda, Anna Maria
AU - Sartori, Stefano
PY - 2010/8
Y1 - 2010/8
N2 - Fibrocartilaginous embolization is a rare cause of ischemic myelopathy caused by embolization of intersomatic disk nucleus pulposus into spinal vasculature during Valsalva-like maneuvers. Diagnostic criteria are based on patients clinical history, magnetic resonance evidence of T2-hyperintense spinal cord lesion, and exclusion of other causes of ischemic myelopathy. These criteria do not take into account the development of magnetic resonance techniques able to enhance signal abnormalities within the neighboring intersomatic disc or vertebral body and to early characterize central nervous system lesions according to the presence of cytotoxic edema. We present 2 pediatric cases of progressive paraplegia attributed to fibrocartilaginous embolization in which short-tau inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted imaging sequences played a pivotal role showing the ischemic nature of spinal cord lesions. Due to its specificity, diffusion-weighted imaging should be included in the magnetic resonance criteria of fibrocartilaginous embolization and in standard magnetic resonance analysis when dealing with acute transverse myelopathy.
AB - Fibrocartilaginous embolization is a rare cause of ischemic myelopathy caused by embolization of intersomatic disk nucleus pulposus into spinal vasculature during Valsalva-like maneuvers. Diagnostic criteria are based on patients clinical history, magnetic resonance evidence of T2-hyperintense spinal cord lesion, and exclusion of other causes of ischemic myelopathy. These criteria do not take into account the development of magnetic resonance techniques able to enhance signal abnormalities within the neighboring intersomatic disc or vertebral body and to early characterize central nervous system lesions according to the presence of cytotoxic edema. We present 2 pediatric cases of progressive paraplegia attributed to fibrocartilaginous embolization in which short-tau inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted imaging sequences played a pivotal role showing the ischemic nature of spinal cord lesions. Due to its specificity, diffusion-weighted imaging should be included in the magnetic resonance criteria of fibrocartilaginous embolization and in standard magnetic resonance analysis when dealing with acute transverse myelopathy.
KW - acute back pain
KW - diffusion weighted imaging
KW - fibrocartilaginous embolization
KW - magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
KW - spinal cord infarction
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U2 - 10.1177/0883073809355822
DO - 10.1177/0883073809355822
M3 - Article
C2 - 20299698
AN - SCOPUS:77954693870
VL - 25
SP - 1024
EP - 1028
JO - Journal of Child Neurology
JF - Journal of Child Neurology
SN - 0883-0738
IS - 8
ER -