Teaching NeuroImage: Latent Axonal Degeneration in Patient With Anterior Circulation Stroke
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: A 74-year-old man presented within 6 hours of acute left-sided weakness (Medical Research Council scale 4-/5), including left facial droop and dysarthria (NIH Stroke scale 7).Baseline MRI and magnetic resonance angiography revealed a right striatocapsular infarct from a subocclusive right middle cerebral artery thrombus.He presented outside the intravenous thrombolysis treatment window but was consented to the NINDS Natural History of Stroke Study (NCT00009243) for serial MRI follow-up.At 6 months, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI demonstrated a new, asymptomatic, hyperintense signal (Figure 1), hypointense on 3D T1 (Figure 2), extending from the internal capsule to midbrain without corresponding changes on diffusion-weighted imaging/apparent diffusion coefficient or perfusion-weighted imaging.He had mild residual deficits (modified Rankin Scale score of 1) at 1 year; however, the MRI signal persisted, suggesting axonal degeneration.
Source: Neurology
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7166581774