Subacute combined degeneration of the cervical and dorsal spinal cord in a 40-year-old male patient: A case report

Brecht Van Berkel; Jan Vandevenne; Riet Vangheluwe; Sofie Van Cauter

doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2020.10.033

Subacute combined degeneration of the cervical and dorsal spinal cord in a 40-year-old male patient: A case report

Radiol Case Rep. 2020 Oct 28;16(1):13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2020.10.033. eCollection 2021 Jan.

Authors

Brecht Van Berkel^{1

2}, Jan Vandevenne^{1

3}, Riet Vangheluwe⁴, Sofie Van Cauter^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Schiepse Bos 6, 3600 Genk, Belgium.
² Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 39, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
³ Faculty of Medicine, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Schiepse Bos 6, 3600 Genk, Belgium.

Abstract

Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord is a neurologic complication of vitamin B12 deficiency. It presents as a potentially reversible demyelination of the posterior and lateral columns of the cervical and dorsal spinal cord. We present the case of a 40-year-old male with progressive sensory and motor deficit from the lower extremities ascending to the mid-thoracic region. A combination of laboratory tests and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of subacute degeneration of the spinal cord due to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Keywords: MRI; Spine; Subacute combined degeneration; Vitamin B12.

Publication types

Case Reports