Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging of Spinal Cord Infarction.
- Author:
Youn Jeong KIM
1
;
Jeong Jin SEO
;
Nam Yeol YIM
;
Woong Tae CHUNG
;
Yun Hyeon KIM
;
Jin Gyoon PARK
;
Gwang Woo JEONG
;
Heoung Keun KANG
Author Information
1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea. jjseo@chonnam.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Spinal cord, infarction;
MR, diffusion
- MeSH:
Diffusion;
Early Diagnosis;
Humans;
Infarction*;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*;
Male;
Spinal Cord*
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
2002;6(2):166-172
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI) and quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps in the patients with spinal cord infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 6 patients presented symptoms with spinal cord infarction, retrospectively(3 men and 3 women). We obtained multi-shot echo planar-based, DWI using 1.5T MR scanner at 5.4 mean days after the onset of ischemic symptoms. In six patients, signal intensity was acquired at conventional b value (1000s/mm2). The ADC value for the normal spinal cord and for infarcted lesions was measured from the trace ADC maps by using regions of interest positioned over the spinal cord. We analyzed signal intensity of lesion on MRI and DWI, and compared with ADC values in infarcted lesions and normal site. RESULTS: T1-weighted MR image showed iso-signal intensity in four of six patients and low signal intensity in two of six. T2-weighted MR image demonstrated high signal intensity in all of six. All DWI were considered to be diagnostic. All of six depicted a bright signal intensity on DWI. ADC values of infarcted lesion were measured lower than that of normal spinal cord on ADC map. The differences in ADC values between infarcted and normal spinal cord were significantly different (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It is possible to obtain DWI and ADC map of the spinal cord and DWI may be useful in the early diagnosis and localization of lesion site in patients with spinal cord infarction.
