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The Value of Diffusion‐Weighted Imaging in the Diagnosis of Marchiafava‐Bignami Disease: Apropos of a Case
Author(s) -
Aggunlu Levent,
Oner Yusuf,
Kocer Belgin,
Akpek Sergin
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2007.00202.x
Subject(s) - corpus callosum , medicine , fluid attenuated inversion recovery , magnetic resonance imaging , diffusion mri , radiology , disease , etiology , pathology
Marchiafava‐Bignami disease (MBD) is characterized by demyelination and necrosis of corpus callosum encountered in chronic alcoholic patients. Etiology is the deficiency of vitamin B complex. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in MBD typically reveals focal lesions of high T2 and FLAIR signal intensity in the corpus callosum. We here present a 42‐year‐old male alcoholic diagnosed as MBD on the basis of MRI and diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) features. The patient totally recovered following appropriate vitamin B complex replacement therapy, despite reduced diffusion in the initial setting. This case report emphasizes on the important role played by MRI and DWI in the early diagnosis and follow‐up of this potentially fatal disease.