Early corticospinal tract Wallerian degeneration on diffusion-weighted MR imaging after adult stroke: Three cases report

摘要

Ischemic stroke usually damages supratentorial motor systems which results in hemiparalysis. Both pediatric and adult studies have demonstrated that stroke-induced chronic descending corti-cospinal tract atrophy on MR imaging is consistent with Wallerian degeneration (WD) and that chronic WD is associated with poor motor outcome [1 ]. Such findings of WD at chronic phase, however, are of limited clinical significance. Early WD of neonatal and pediatric stroke has been identified on diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DW-MRI) [2]. In terms of early WD on DW-MRI in adult stroke, few case studies have been reported [3-5]. Presented herein are three adult cases of early cerebral peduncle WD secondary to acute hemispheric stroke detected on DW-MRI, which should not be mistaken as separate primary stroke lesions.