Acquired lesions of the corpus callosum: MR imaging

Abstract

In this pictorial review, we illustrate acquired diseases or conditions of the corpus callosum that may be found by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain, including infarction, bleeding, diffuse axonal injury, multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Marchiafava-Bignami disease, glioblastoma, gliomatosis cerebri, lymphoma, metastasis, germinoma, infections, metabolic diseases, transient splenial lesion, dilated Virchow-Robin spaces, wallerian degeneration after hemispheric damage and focal splenial gliosis. MR imaging is useful for the detection and differential diagnosis of corpus callosal lesions. Due to the anatomical shape and location of the corpus callosum, both coronal and sagittal fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images are most useful for visualizing lesions of this structure.

MR Imaging of Metronidazole-Induced Encephalopathy: Lesion Distribution and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Findings

“…The differential diagnosis of T2 hyperintense focal lesions in the corpus callosum splenium includes various demyelinating diseases (eg, Marchiafava-Bignami disease, encephalitis, osmotic myelinolysis, and transient splenial lesions). The etiologies of transient T2 hyperintense focal lesions in the splenium of the corpus callosum include patients with epilepsy treated with antiepileptic drugs, 35 acute infectious encephalitis (influenza, Escherichia coli, mumps, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and Rota virus), [36][37][38][39] demyelinating lesions including osmotic myelinolysis, and acute toxic encephalopathy (methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil). [40][41] The present study has several limitations.…”

Germinoma of the Corpus Callosum

“…They may also originate in the basal ganglia, cerebellopontine angle, lateral ventricle, cerebellum, frontal/temporal/occipital lobes, medulla, and, very rarely, in the corpus callosum. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Because of the unusual location of the lesion, multiple neuroradiologists failed to include germinoma in the differential diagnosis. …”

“…1 These tumours are believed to originate as a midline streaming of totipotential cells early in the development of the rostral part of the neural tube. 2,3 Clinical features depend on tumour location. For those located in the suprasellar region, the typical presentation is with diabetes insipidus, hypopituitarism, and bitemporal hemianopia.…”

Germinoma With Syncytiotrophoblastic Giant Cells Arising in the Corpus Callosum -Case Report-

“…Germ cell tumors including germinomas in the corpus callosum are very rare and are usually associated with other intracranial lesions. 1,7,9,11,[16][17][18][19][20] Only one of 153 germ cell tumors was located in the corpus callosum (0.7%). 11) The reason for the low incidence of germ cell tumors arising at the corpus callosum is unclear, but may be related to the pathogenesis of intracranial germ cell tumors.…”

“…Only 11 patients with germ cell tumors in the corpus callosum have been reported, 1,7,9,11,[16][17][18][19][20] all associated other intracranial lesions including disseminated periventricular tumors, adjacent cerebral parenchymal lesions, and so-called favorite site lesions (Table 1). Patients with corpus callosum germ cell tumors tended to be older (mean ± standard deviation [SD] 23.7 ± 10.9 years) than patients with more common intracranial germinomas.…”