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Updated: May 11, 2026

Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Entire corpus callosum and diffuse white matter involvement in acute Marchiafava-Bignami disease
Jieqiang Xia1, Qing Lin1, Xue Ke2
1Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Shuangliu District (West China Airport Hospital of Sichuan University), Chengdu, Sichuan, 610200, China.
None:
Acute Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) can extend beyond the corpus callosum to diffuse hemispheric white matter, portending poor outcomes. We report a 57-year-old man with long-standing alcohol abuse who developed weakness and coma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hyperintense, swollen lesions throughout the corpus callosum and extracallosal white matter on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI)/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI), consistent with cytotoxic edema. Despite prompt high-dose thiamine and aggressive supportive care, he died within days. This case underscores the diagnostic value of DWI for early detection and prognostication in acute MBD, and highlights the importance of urgent brain MRI in comatose patients with a background of chronic alcohol abuse.
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