CONTRIBUTION OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGIN G TO THE DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF MARCHIAFAVA-BIGNAMI-DISEASE - REPORT OF A CASE WITH A FAVORABLE OUTCOME

A patient with a history of chronic alcohol abuse and mental disorders developed a coma due to Marchiafava-Bignami disease. A computed tomog raphy study of the brain was normal, whereas magnetic resonance imagin g disclosed a solitary circumscribed lesion in the middle part of the corpus callosum, generating a hypointense signal on T1 images and a hy perintense signal on T2 images. The outcome was favorable. A previous magnetic resonance imaging study done after the onset of the mental di sorders was normal, supporting a diagnosis of acute regressive rather than mixed Marchiafava-Bignami disease.