Injury of the spinothalamic tract in a patient with mild traumatic brain injury: diffusion tensor
tractography study
Engelsk titel: Injury of the spinothalamic tract in a patient with mild traumatic brain injury: diffusion tensor
tractography study
Läs online
Författare:
Seo, Jeong Pyo
;
Jang, Sung Ho
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 19
Dokumenttyp:
Fallbeskrivning
UI-nummer: 14129065
Sammanfattning
OBJECTIVE: To report on a patient found to have injury of the spinothalamic tract on diffusion
tensor tractography following traumatic brain injury.
Case description: A 29-year-old male patient with head trauma resulting from a pedestrian car
accident presented with pain in multiple areas (both subscapular areas, posterior head and neck,
both upper trapezius areas, and the right arm and leg). His pain had not improved with various types
of conservative management.
RESULTS: Evaluations (conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging, electromyography, and
whole spine magnetic resonance imaging), performed 2 years after the head trauma, did not reveal
any specific abnormality. Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome were ruled out by physical
examination. Injuries of the spinothalamic tracts in both hemispheres were observed on diffusion
tensor imaging in terms of the configuration (thinning) and diffusion tensor tractography parameters
(decreased fractional anisotropy or tract volume).
CONCLUSION: Some of the pain in the trunk and extremities in this patient could be ascribed to
central pain caused by injury of both spinothalamic tracts. We conclude that diffusion tensor
tractography provides a useful means of detecting injury of the spinothalamic tract in patients with
traumatic brain injury.