title: Extensive spinal cord involvement in magnetic resonance imaging evaluation on schistosomal myelitis.
abstract: The diagnosis of schistosomal myelitis (SM) is frequently presumptive because no findings from any complementary examination are pathognomonic for this disease. The present report describes some abnormalities seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of a series of SM patients and discusses their etiopathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study evaluated SM patients at the time of their diagnosis. These patients routinely underwent MRI on all segments of the spinal cord.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen patients were evaluated. The MRI was abnormal in 12 (92.3%) of them. In 11 patients (84.61%), the damage reached two or more spinal segments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI was an important diagnostic aid in this sample, because of the high rate of abnormalities detected. The tissue damage observed on MRI was extensive in the majority of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife PE, Brazil. vidal-claudio@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Claudio Henrique Fernandes
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Maria Lucia Brito
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Hildo Rocha Cirne de
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Azevedo Filho
authors.forename: Fernando Viana
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Gurgel
authors.forename: Alessandra Mertens
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Brainer-Lima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020818:Neuroschistosomiasis / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult