title: Diffusion-weighted MRI of the cervical cord in acute spinal cord injury with type II odontoid fracture.
abstract: The authors present a case of acute spinal cord injury demonstrated by diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) of the cervical cord. DWI taken 2 hours after injury showed intramedullary hyperintensity with a decrease of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value at C1-C2 vertebral levels. On T -weighted images obtained 1 month after injury, the lesion was hyperintense, indicating the existence of myelomalacia. DWI of the cervical cord provided satisfactory images and was a useful method for detecting and visualizing of the affected cord in the super-early stage.(2)
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Kitasato, Japan. tsagi@abeam.ocm.ne.jp
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sagiuchi
authors.forename: Shigekuni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Kazushige
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D004058:Diffusion; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009809:Odontoid Process / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis*