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[Postvaccination myelitis. Aspect and course followed by MRI]
A Abdennebi1, J L Dumas, J Salama
1Service de Radiologie, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France.
Journal De Radiologie
|May 1, 1996
Summary
This study details a rare case of spinal cord inflammation (radiculomyelitis) following tetanus-poliomyelitis vaccination. MRI revealed specific changes, aiding diagnosis and preventing future vaccine administration in similar cases.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Vaccination against tetanus and poliomyelitis is common.
- Neurological complications following vaccination are rare but significant.
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) can present with diverse spinal cord lesions.
Observation:
- A case of radiculomyelitis post-vaccination presented with isolated conus medullaris myelitis on MRI.
- Acute MRI findings included contrast enhancement of the conus medullaris and T2 hyperintensities in the thoracic cord.
- Clinical recovery correlated with reduced contrast enhancement.
Findings:
- Follow-up MRI at 5 months showed persistent T2 prolongation in the conus medullaris and syringohydromyelia in the thoracic cord.
- This case represents a rare presentation of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with a single spinal cord lesion.
- The natural course of such MRI-depicted lesions, previously undocumented, is now partially understood.
Implications:
- Accurate MRI assessment is crucial for diagnosing post-vaccination myelitis.
- Identifying this rare complication can guide clinical management and prevent further vaccine administration.
- This case contributes to understanding the spectrum and imaging characteristics of vaccine-associated neurological events.