title: Wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract in capsular infarction studied by magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: Using magnetic resonance imaging, we studied 24 patients with ischemic infarction of the internal capsule. Magnetic resonance imaging detected wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract below the capsular lesion in 11 patients (45.8%); all 11 had clinical evidence of pyramidal tract damage. In six additional patients magnetic resonance imaging findings, present only on axial slices, were considered to indicate possible wallerian degeneration. When motor deficit was associated with posterior limb lesions, magnetic resonance imaging detected wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract in 78.6% (11) of 14 patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sta. Creu i St. Pau Hospital, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martí-Vilalta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Junqué
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vendrell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capdevila
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000473:pathology*; D014855:Wallerian Degeneration