American Journal of Neuroradiology 21:612 (3 2000)
© 2000 American Society of Neuroradiology
LETTER
Spinal Cord Decompression Sickness
a Institute of Radiology University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
We read with interest the case report by Manabe et al (1) Presumed Venous Infarction in Spinal Decompression Sickness, in the AJNR. The authors stated that, to their knowledge, no previous reports have described MR signal abnormalities in the spinal cord associated with this syndrome; however, a valuable article by Warren et al was published in the November 1988 issue of the AJR and in the September/October 1988 issue of the AJNR (2) describing the same MR signal abnormalities in the spinal cord in decompression sickness (DCS) type II. In 1997, Reuter et al again described this MR finding in Acta Radiologica (3), and we described reversible MR signal abnormalities in the spinal cord associated with DCS type II after successful hyperbaric oxygen therapy (4).
We do, in conclusion, believe that Manabe and colleagues' report provides further evidence of the venous infarction theory as the pathophysiologic mechanism of involvement of the spinal cord in DCS type II and points to the usefulness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of the syndrome.
References
- Manabe Y, Sakai K, Kashihara K, Shohmori T. Presumed venous infarction in spinal decompression sickness. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1998;19:1578-1580[Abstract]
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Warren LP, Djang WT, Moon RE, et al. Neuroimaging of scuba diving injuries to the CNS. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1988;151:1003-1008 AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1988;9:939-942
[Abstract/Free Full Text] - Reuter M, Tetzlaff K, Hutzelmann A. MR imaging of the central nervous system in diving-related decompression illness. Acta Radiologica 1997;38:940-944[Medline]
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Sparacia G, Banco A, Sparacia B. Magnetic resonance findings in scuba diving-related spinal cord decompression sickness. MAGMA 1997;5:111-115
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