Gadolinium‐MRI in acute transverse myelopathy

Abstract

A patient with acute transverse myelopathy (ATM) had serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies before and after administration of gadolinium (Gd-DTPA). Gd-DTPA-MRI was useful in estimating the pathologic extent and residual deficit expected in ATM.

Idiopathic acute transverse myelitis in children: an analysis and discussion of MRI findings

“…Involvement of longer segments extending over 3 to 4 segments is a common finding of ATM in adults (reported between 53-71 %) after excluding the ATM secondary to identifiable causes [10-12]. Other important features described in adult patients include cord expansion, no enhancement, or diffuse and inhomogeneous, peripheral or slightly nodular (small focus) enhancement [10, 13-14]. Variable presence of cord expansion was seen in 47 % of patients [10] and found in 43% in the present study.…”

Acute infectious disorders of the spinal cord and its roots with gadolinium-DTPA enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging

“…Usually, the results of serological tests are not available in the early stages of the disease, causing diagnostic uncertainty with respect to aetiology [3,20,21,34]. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine, intravenous (i.v.)…”

“…Gd-DTPA enhancement in the spinal cord and adjacent structures has been observed in conditions such as malignant cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis [4,32], polymorphonuclear or lymphocytic pleocytosis of infectious origin [20,26], multiple sclerosis [22] and sarcoidosis [35]. In conditions without pleocytosis but elevated protein content as in Guillain-Barr6 syndrome [10], chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy [9,24] or in conditions with normal CSF such as idiopathic transverse myelopathy [34] Gd-DTPA enhancement has also been observed. In these cases Gd-DTPA enhancement was an effect of a non-specific blood-cord barrier alteration with capillary leakage and had no direct correlation with the presence of CSF cells and protein levels.…”

Acute Transverse Myelitis in a 15-month-old Girl: Report of a Case With MRI Findings

“…Intramedullary tumors usually would be expected to show a heterogeneous signal pattern 17-19 and more prominent enhancement, [23][24][25][26] although some patients with acute transverse myelitis might show an enhancing lesion. 15,16,26 The diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis should be made comprehensively not only from MRI erse Myelltis but also from clinical findings and other laboratory tests. Our present case gives a good example of further usefulness of the high-resolution MRI system in differentiating acute transverse myelitis from other intramedullary pathologic processes.…”