Skip to main content
Log in

Acute putaminal necrosis and white matter demyelination in a child with subnormal copper metabolism in Wilson disease: MR imaging and spectroscopic findings

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
  • Published:
Neuroradiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Wilson disease (WD) that manifests solely with acute and severe neurological damage in the absence of hepatic disease and Kayser–Fleischer ring of the cornea is rare and difficult to diagnose at the acute setting. This report describes unusual diffusion and proton spectroscopic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in a 12-year-old boy with WD who presented with hemichorea and subnormal copper metabolism. The MR imaging findings of lactate accumulation, decrease of N-acerylaspartate/creatinine (NAA/Cr) ratio and markedly increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the asymmetrical edematous putaminal lesions in the early stage were suggestive of acute necrosis with anaerobic metabolism of glucose leading to poor clinical outcome at follow-up.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Beal MF (2000) Neurodegenerative disease. Trends Neurosci 23:298–304

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Walshe JM, Yealland M (1992) Wilson’s disease: the problem of delayed diagnosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 55:692–696

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Angius A, Dessi V, Lovicu M, De Virgiliis S, Pirastu M, Cao A (1998) Early and severe neurological features in a Wilson disease patient compound heterozygous for two frameshift mutations. Eur J Pediatr 157:128–129

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. King AD, Walshe JM, Kendall BE, et al (1996) Cranial MR imaging in Wilson’s disease. AJR Am J Roentgenol 167:1579–1584

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. van Wassenaer-van Hall HN, van den Heuvel AG, Jansen GH, Hoogenraad TU, Mali WP (1995) Cranial MR in Wilson disease: abnormal white matter in extrapyramidal and pyramidal tracts. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 16:2021–2027

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sener RN (2003) Diffusion MRI findings in Wilson’s disease. Comput Med Imaging Graph 27:17–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sener RN (2003) Diffusion MR imaging changes associated with Wilson disease. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24:965–967

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Jayasundar R, Sahani AK, Gaikwad S, Singh S, Behari M (2002) Proton MR spectroscopy of basal ganglia in Wilson’s disease: case report and review of literature. Magn Reson Imaging 20:131–135

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. van der Heuvel AG, van der Grond J, van Rooij LG, van Wassenaer-van Hall HN, Hoogenraad TU, Mali WP (1997) Differentiation between portal–systemic encephalopathy and neurodegenerative disorders in patients with Wilson disease: H-1 MR spectroscopy. Radiology 203:539–543

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Alanen A, Komu M, Penttinen M, Leino R (1999) Magnetic resonance imaging and proton MR spectroscopy in Wilson’s disease. Br J Radiol 72:749–756

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Nusbaum AO, Fung KM, Atlas SW (2002) White matter diseases and inherited metabolic disorders. In: Altas SW (ed) Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine. Lippincott Williams& Wilkins, Philadelphia, pp 521–563

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sternlieb I (1968) Mitochondrial and fatty changes in hepatocytes of patients with Wilson’s disease. Gastroenterology 55:354–367

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheng-Yu Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Juan, CJ., Chen, CY., Liu, YJ. et al. Acute putaminal necrosis and white matter demyelination in a child with subnormal copper metabolism in Wilson disease: MR imaging and spectroscopic findings. Neuroradiology 47, 401–405 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-004-1306-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-004-1306-z

Keywords

Navigation