Diffusion-weighted MR findings of central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis

Diffusion-weighted MR (DWI) can detect changes in water diffusion associate d With cellular dysfunction, which enables the differentiation of cytotoxic edema from vasogenic edema. In this Study on DWI findings in central ponti ne (CPM) and extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM), DWI showed high signal intens ities in the bilateral pons, midbrain, and genu of the corpus callosum. The corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient values were rather low. This suggests that cytotoxic edema does in fact exist in CPM and EPM and that DW I can be useful in the rapid diagnosis and prediction of the various types of edema occurring in active demyelinating diseases.