Magnetic-Resonance Diffusion-Tensor Tractography in the Diagnosis of Tumefactive Spinal-Cord Lesions in Neuromyelitis Optica

Yung Hsu; Ming-Chung Chou; Poh-Shiow Yeh; Te-Chang Wu; Ching-Chung Ko; Tai-Yuan Chen

doi:10.3390/diagnostics10060401

Magnetic-Resonance Diffusion-Tensor Tractography in the Diagnosis of Tumefactive Spinal-Cord Lesions in Neuromyelitis Optica

Diagnostics (Basel). 2020 Jun 12;10(6):401. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics10060401.

Authors

Yung Hsu¹, Ming-Chung Chou^{2

3

4}, Poh-Shiow Yeh^{5

6}, Te-Chang Wu^{1

7

8}, Ching-Chung Ko^{1

9}, Tai-Yuan Chen^{1

10}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Imaging, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan.
² Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
³ Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
⁴ Center for Big Data Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Neurology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Medical Sciences Industry, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan 711, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
⁹ Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 717, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan 711, Taiwan.

Abstract

Magnetic-resonance (MR) imaging is the modality of choice for the evaluation of spinal-cord lesions. However, challenges persist in discriminating demyelinating processes from neoplastic lesions using conventional MR sequences. Consequently, an invasive spinal-cord biopsy is likely for most patients. MR diffusion-tensor imaging is an emerging noninvasive and powerful method for characterizing changes in tissue microstructure associated with spinal disorders. We currently present the case of a middle-aged woman suffering from neuromyelitis optica, and highlight that MR diffusion-tensor tractography can be helpful in the identification of tumefactive spinal-cord lesions.

Keywords: diffusion-tensor imaging; diffusion-tensor tractography; magnetic-resonance imaging; neuromyelitis optica; spinal cord; tumefactive.

Publication types

Case Reports