Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesion
Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions (LESCL), also known as longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM), represent extensive involvement of the spinal cord, with abnormal T2 signal traversing at least three vertebral body segments in length.
Differential diagnosis
They are typical of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) but can be seen in a number of other conditions, including 1-3:
- neuromyelitis optica (NMO)
-
multiple sclerosis
- confluent short segment lesions mimicking LESCL
- systemic illness
- other causes of transverse myelitis
- idiopathic (aquaporin 4 negative)
- post-infectious
- vascular
Related articles
Demyelination
-
demyelination
- primary demyelinating disorders
- clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)
- radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS)
- multiple sclerosis (MS)
- neuromyelitis optica (NMO) (Devic disease)
- acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and acute haemorrhagic encephalomyelitis (AHEM)
- tumefactive demyelinating lesions
- transverse myelitis
- chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
- primary demyelinating disorders
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