Myelin Water Fraction MRI in a Case of Clinically Probable Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Jiwon Yang; Jongho Lee; EungYeop Kim; Dong Hoon Shin

doi:10.14253/kjcn.2016.18.1.18

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Yang, Lee, Kim, and Shin: Myelin Water Fraction MRI in a Case of Clinically Probable Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Case Report

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2016;18(1):18-20.

Published online: 18 January 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14253/kjcn.2016.18.1.18

Myelin Water Fraction MRI in a Case of Clinically Probable Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Jiwon Yang¹, Jongho Lee², EungYeop Kim³, Dong Hoon Shin¹

¹Department of Neurology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea

²Laboratory for Imaging Science and Technology (LIST), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

³Department of Radiology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea

Address for correspondence; Dong Hoon Shin Department of Neurology, Gachon University, Gil Medical Center 21, Namdong-daero 774beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon 21565, Korea Tel: +82-32-460-3346 Fax: +83-32-460-3344 E-mail: dr.donghoon.shin@gmail.com

Received 7 January 2016 Revised 20 February 2016 Accepted 9 May 2016

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron degenerative disease that clinically manifests both upper and lower motor neuron signs. However, it is unknown where and how the motor neuron degeneration begins, and conflicting hypotheses have been suggested. Recent advanced radiological techniques enable us to look into ALS neuropathology in vivo. Herein, we report a case with upper motor neuron-predominant ALS in whom the results of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and myelin water fraction MRI suggest axonal degeneration. (Korean J Clin Neurophysiol 2016;18:18-20)

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Magnetic resonance imaging, Pathology

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Figure 1.

(A, B) Axial (A) and coronal (B) T2-weighted MRI of the brain display bilateral high signal intensity along the corticospinal tract (CST) (white arrows). (C, D) The mean myelin quantity was larger in the CST area than in the adjacent splenium of corpus callosum (right CST = 8,812, left CST = 8,677, splenium = 8,193) (green circles). MRI; magnetic resonance image.

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