Lhermitte's sign in alcoholic myelopathy without portosystemic shunting: MRI evaluation.
We conducted spinal MR imaging on a 35-year-old man with Lhermitte's sign that had manifested over the previous 4 years. He had consumed more than 500 ml of whisky daily for at least 10 years. However, he did not show any evidence of severe liver disease with hepato-systemic blood shunting. Neurologic examination revealed markedly depressed sense of vibration in the feet and mild spasticity in the lower limbs, together with Lhermitte's sign. MR imaging revealed abnormal signal intensity in the posterior column spanning the whole length of the upper cervical cord, which is consistent with Lhermitte's sign.
Imai
Tomihiro
T
Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Chou-ku, Sapporo 060-8543.
Tsuda
Emiko
E
Suzuki
Mikiya
M
Hozuki
Takayoshi
T
Matsumoto
Hiroyuki
H
D000328:Adult; D020269:Alcoholic Neuropathy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed