Magnetic resonance tractography exhibiting retrograde degeneration of the corticospinal tract in a patient with a unilateral spinal cord tumor.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Transection-induced axonal retrograde degeneration, in contrast to Wallerian degeneration, has not been widely recognized in clinical practice. AIMS OF THE STUDY To assess a potential of corticospinal tractography for detecting axonal retrograde degeneration. METHODS: We assessed the corticospinal tractography of a 74-year-old woman with monoplegia of the lower limb due to a unilateral thoracic spinal cord tumor. RESULTS: The tractography revealed integrity reduction of the corticospinal tract in the cerebra contralateral to the spinal cord tumor. CONCLUSIONS: The present report supports that magnetic resonance tractography has the potential for detecting this under-recognized phenomenon.