Secondary degeneration of the substantia nigra and corticospinal tract after hemorrhagic middle cerebral artery infarction: diffusion-weighted MR findings.
Middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction involving the striatum can cause secondary degeneration of the substantia nigra and corticospinal tract. We present a patient with subacute hemorrhagic MCA infarction in whom diffusion-weighted MR images showed high signal intensity in the ipsilateral substantia nigra and corticospinal tract. A corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient map revealed a uniformly decreased signal in the same area. This represents secondary degeneration and should not be mistaken for other pathological conditions, such as a new infarction.
Kinoshita
Toshibumi
T
Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 648, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. kino@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
Moritani
Toshio
T
Shrier
David A
DA
Wang
Henry Z
HZ
Hiwatashi
Akio
A
Numaguchi
Yuji
Y
Westesson
Per-Lennart A
PL
D000368:Aged; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000473:pathology*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000473:pathology*