Marchiafava-Bignami disease: reversibility of neuroimaging abnormality

J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1998 May-Jun;22(3):503-4. doi: 10.1097/00004728-199805000-00026.

Abstract

Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) was diagnosed in a malnourished 43-year-old patient with chronic alcoholism, severe generalized extrapyramidal rigid syndrome, and severe dyspraxia. Cranial CT and MRI demonstrated isolated lesions in the geno and splenium of the corpus callosum (CC) characteristic for MBD. On thiamine therapy, a slow but steady recovery of clinical symptoms occurred, and serial CT and MRI studies demonstrated marked reversibility of abnormalities in the CC. Besides clinical improvement with a good functional outcome, reversal of CT and MRI abnormalities may occur in MBD.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcoholism / pathology*
  • Amantadine / therapeutic use
  • Basal Ganglia Diseases / drug therapy
  • Basal Ganglia Diseases / pathology
  • Brain Diseases / drug therapy
  • Brain Diseases / pathology
  • Corpus Callosum / drug effects
  • Corpus Callosum / pathology*
  • Demyelinating Diseases / drug therapy
  • Demyelinating Diseases / pathology*
  • Dopamine Agents / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Movement Disorders / pathology
  • Muscle Rigidity / pathology
  • Nutrition Disorders / pathology*
  • Remission Induction
  • Syndrome
  • Thiamine / therapeutic use
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vitamin B Complex / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Dopamine Agents
  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Amantadine
  • Thiamine