MR imaging features of subacute combined degeneration
CUI Linyang
ZHANG Chen
ZHANG Jing
Abstract：Objective The study was to analyze spinal MR imaging features of subacute combined degeneration (SCD), and to evaluate the value of spinal MR imaging in the diagnosis of SCD. Materials and Methods Fifteen patients diagnosed with SCD were comprised, the MRI and clinical data were collected. We retrospective analyzed the MRI manifestations and also discussed the correlations between the involved spinal cord segments and the level of serumal vitamin B12, and onset time in patients with SCD. Results All the 15 patients showed abnormal MR finding. MR images of these patients revealed symmetrical hypointense or isointense signals on T1WI and hyperintense on T2WI in the cervical and thoracic spine. The intramedullary lesions located in the posterior column of the cervical and thoracic spine in 13 patients, in both posterior, lateral and anterior column in 2 patients. However the signals in the cervical and thoracic spine showed different characteristics on the axial T2WI. For patients with cervical spinal cord abnormalities, the lesions showed symmetric T2-hyperintensity as an “inverted V”or “inverted rabbit ears”at cervical spinal cord on axial T2-weighted images. For patients with thoracic spinal cord abnormalities, the lesions showed bilateral paired nodular T 2-hyperintensity as“dumbbell”at thoracic spinal cord. The statistical analysis of these 15 cases of SCD showed that the involved spinal cord segments was negatively correlated with the level of serumal vitamin B12, and had no correlation with course of disease. Conclusion Spinal MRI plays an important role in diagnosing SCD.
Keywords：Spinal cordMagnetic resonance imagingSubacute combined degenerationVitamin B 12 deficiencySpinal cord diseases
Publication Date：2015-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 103-106 )