Brainstem and cerebellar changes after cerebrovascular accidents: magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract

We illustrate the various types of secondary degeneration in the brainstem and/or cerebellum detected on magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained after cerebrovascular accidents. The changes include: (a) ipsilateral nigral degeneration after striatal infarction; (b) Wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract in the brainstem after supratentorial pyramidal tract or motor cortex injury; (c) Wallerian degeneration of the corticopontine tract in the brainstem after frontal lobe infarction; (d) ipsilateral brainstem atrophy and crossed cerebellar atrophy due to an extensive supratentorial lesion; (e) ipsilateral superior cerebellar peduncle atrophy, contralateral rubral degeneration, contralateral inferior olivary degeneration and ipsilateral cerebellar atrophy after dentate nucleus hemorrhage; (f) ipsilateral inferior olivary degeneration after pontine tegmentum hemorrhage; (g) bilateral wallerian degeneration of the pontocerebellar tracts after ventromedial pontine infarction or basis pontis hemorrhage; and (h) ipsilateral cerebellar atrophy after middle cerebellar peduncle hemorrhage.