title: Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and fiber tracking in spinal cord lesions: current and future indications.
abstract: Diffusion-weighted imaging and fractional anisotropy may be more sensitive than other conventional magnetic resonance imaging techniques to detect, characterize, and map the extent of spinal cord lesions. Fiber tracking offers the possibility of visualizing the integrity of white matter tracts surrounding some lesions, and this information may help in formulating a differential diagnosis and in planning biopsies or resection. Fractional anisotropy measurements may also play a role in predicting the outcome of patients who have spinal cord lesions. In this article, we address several conditions in which diffusion-weighted imaging and fiber tracking is known to be useful and speculate on others in which we believe these techniques will be useful in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, CHU de Bicêtre, Paris XI University, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. denis.ducreux@bct.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ducreux
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fillard
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Facon
authors.forename: Augustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozanne
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lepeintre
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Renoux
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tadié
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lasjaunias
mesh_terms: D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*