title: Significance of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating spinal cord radiation myelopathy from tumor. Case report.
abstract: A young woman with a fourth ventricular ependymoma underwent radiotherapy following tumor excision. Twenty months later she developed a progressive neurological deficit at the C-2 vertebral level. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, showed an intramedullary lesion at the C-2 level. Although radiation myelopathy was suspected, tumor recurrence could not be excluded. Re-exploration and histopathology both confirmed a diagnosis of radiation myelopathy. A retrospective review of the case indicated findings favoring radiation myelopathy. The pertinent literature is reviewed and the findings discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Baba Memorial Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komiyama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Khosla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hakuba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002551:Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D005682:Gadolinium