title: Electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging in neurological decompression sickness.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the clinical evaluation of acute decompression sickness (DCS) in the central nervous system (CNS). Twenty-one patients treated because of acute DCS in the CNS during 1999-2001 were included, 15 patients with clinical cerebral DCS and five with clinical spinal cord DCS. Seven patients had abnormalities in their EEG, five with cerebral DCS and two with spinal cord DCS. MRI showed high intensity lesions in the spinal cord in four patients with clinical spinal cord DCS and in one with clinical cerebral DCS. Cerebral lesions were not identified by MRI in any patient. In conclusion, EEG showed unspecific abnormalities in only one third of the cases. Conventional MRI with a 1.5 T scanner may be of help in the diagnosis of DCS in the spinal cord, but not in the brain. EEG and MRI have low sensitivity in the diagnosis of acute DCS in the CNS. Recompression treatment of DCS should still be guided by clinical neurological examination and assessment of symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grønning
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Risberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Skeidsvoll
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aanderud
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Troland
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sundal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thorsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy