Marchiafava-Bignami disease: diffusion-weighted MRI in corpus callosum and cortical lesions

Neurology. 2005 Aug 9;65(3):475-7. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000171348.55820.89.

Abstract

The clinical diagnosis of Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) can be difficult. Acute demyelination of the corpus callosum is characteristic of the disease. The authors report the use of MR diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in six cases of acute MBD. They show that apparent diffusion coefficient restriction of the corpus callosum and cortical lesions were associated with a higher mortality rate and more severe cognitive sequelae.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / complications
  • Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / mortality
  • Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / pathology*
  • Alcoholism / complications
  • Cerebral Cortex / drug effects
  • Cerebral Cortex / pathology*
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
  • Cognition Disorders / chemically induced
  • Cognition Disorders / mortality
  • Cognition Disorders / pathology*
  • Corpus Callosum / drug effects
  • Corpus Callosum / pathology*
  • Corpus Callosum / physiopathology
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Ethanol / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / drug effects
  • Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / pathology
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / complications
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / mortality
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / pathology*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prognosis
  • Wallerian Degeneration / chemically induced
  • Wallerian Degeneration / pathology
  • Wallerian Degeneration / physiopathology

Substances

  • Ethanol