Female, 15 months old, with multiple episodes of Guillain Barre Syndrome-like symptoms. Evaluate for enhancing lesions or mass. Brain:Brain parenchymal morphology is within normal limits. No areas of pathologic signal abnormality, edema or mass effect are seen. No abnormal parenchymal or leptomeningeal enhancement is seen. There are no findings to suggest acute intracranial hemorrhage or abnormal extra-axial fluid. Ventricular size and morphology are within normal limits. The pattern of white matter myelination is appropriate for age.Spine:Mild diffuse enhancement of the cauda equina nerve roots is demonstrated. In addition, the cervical spinal cord is mildly T2 hyperintense beginning at C3 and continuing down to approximately T2. No abnormal cord enhancement is seen in this region.Spinal alignment is anatomic. There is a full complement of normally formed vertebral bodies. Marrow signal characteristics are within normal limits. No significant stenosis of the spinal canal or neural foramina is seen.
1.Diffuse cauda equina enhancement is seen compatible with an inflammatory or autoimmune polyradiculopathy such as Guillain-Barre.2.Mild nonenhancing T2 hyperintensity within the cervical spinal cord is also suspected. This would be somewhat of an atypical finding for Guillain-Barre. However, the coexistence of Guillain-Barre and transverse myelitis has been reported, and it may be that these two processes share the same underlying autoimmune etiology.3.Evaluation of the brain is within normal limits.