Secondary Degeneration of the Substantia Nigra and Corticospinal Tract after Hemorrhagic Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction: Diffusion-weighted MR Findings

Toshibumi KINOSHITA; Toshio MORITANI; David A. SHRIER; Henry Z. WANG; Akio HIWATASHI; Yuji NUMAGUCHI; Per-Lennart A. WESTESSON

doi:10.2463/mrms.1.175

Case Reports

Secondary Degeneration of the Substantia Nigra and Corticospinal Tract after Hemorrhagic Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction: Diffusion-weighted MR Findings

Toshibumi KINOSHITA, Toshio MORITANI, David A. SHRIER, Henry Z. WANG, Akio HIWATASHI, Yuji NUMAGUCHI, Per-Lennart A. WESTESSON

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Keywords: cerebral infarction, degeneration, substantia nigra, MRI, diffusion-weighted

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2002 Volume 1 Issue 3 Pages 175-178

DOI https://doi.org/10.2463/mrms.1.175

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Abstract

Middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction involving the striatum can cause secondary degeneration of the substantia nigra and corticospinal tract. We present a patient with subacute hemorrhagic MCA infarction in whom diffusion-weighted MR images showed high signal intensity in the ipsilateral substantia nigra and corticospinal tract. A corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient map revealed a uniformly decreased signal in the same area. This represents secondary degeneration and should not be mistaken for other pathological conditions, such as a new infarction.

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