Significance of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating spinal cord radiation myelopathy from tumor. Case report.
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.
Yasui
T
T
Department of Neurosurgery, Baba Memorial Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Yagura
H
H
Komiyama
M
M
Fu
Y
Y
Nagata
Y
Y
Tamura
K
K
Khosla
V K
VK
Hakuba
A
A
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
D005682:Gadolinium