학술논문
Extensive spinal cord involvement in magnetic resonance imaging evaluation on schistosomal myelitis
Document Type
article
Author
Source
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria. March 2012 70(3)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0004-282X
Abstract
The diagnosis of schistosomal myelitis (SM) is frequently presumptive because no findings from any complementary examination are pathognomonic for this disease. The present report describes some abnormalities seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of a series of SM patients and discusses their etiopathogenesis. Methods: This study evaluated SM patients at the time of their diagnosis. These patients routinely underwent MRI on all segments of the spinal cord. Results: Thirteen patients were evaluated. The MRI was abnormal in 12 (92.3%) of them. In 11 patients (84.61%), the damage reached two or more spinal segments. Conclusions: MRI was an important diagnostic aid in this sample, because of the high rate of abnormalities detected. The tissue damage observed on MRI was extensive in the majority of the patients.