Longitudinal advanced MRI case report of white matter radiation necrosis

Radiation necrosis mostly occurs in and near the radiation field. We used magnetic resonance imaging to study radiation-induced necrosis of atypical onset, severity, and extent following stereotactic radiosurgery for a symptomatic arteriovenous malformation. Susceptibility-sensitive imaging, T₁-relaxation, myelin water imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy were acquired three times up to 52 months postradiosurgery. Increasing water content outside the radiation field, contralateral neuronal loss, and gliosis were detected over time. Our findings suggest that radiation-induced vasculopathic changes spread more diffusely than previously described. An autoimmune response to brain antigens could underlie white matter changes outside the initial radiation field.