Female, 42 years old, with right-sided hand weakness after motor vehicle accident. T2 hyperintense foci are seen within the neural foramina along the right C8 and T1 nerve roots (see image 16 and 17, series 8; and image 30 and 36, series 5). The other neural foramina are free of similar findings. There may be mild increased STIR signal more distally along the right brachial plexus, though this is equivocal given some motion artifact. The finding cannot be confirmed on axial T2 images due to inadequate fat suppression.Otherwise, no specific abnormalities of the brachial plexus are seen. Postcontrast images are within normal limits. The spinal cord remains at midline within the thecal sac. There is no evidence of any abnormal intraspinal fluid. Bone marrow signal characteristics are also within normal limits.
T2 hyperintense foci are demonstrated along the right C8 and T1 nerve roots. Without consideration of patient history, these would be attributed to normal variant perineural root sleeve cysts. However, given the right-sided symptomatology, and absence of similar findings elsewhere in the visualized spine, the possibility of mild injury to the nerve root sleeves is raised. If the distribution of the weakness correlates with C8 and T1 supply, then this possibility would become more likely.