OBJECTIVE

To explore the etiologies and imaging features of longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesion (LESCL).

METHODS

The etiologies and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features of 51 hospitalized LESCL patients from January 2011 to August 2013 were reviewed and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Among them, the causes were neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD, n = 25), isolated longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (n = 6), subacute combined degeneration (n = 4), multiple sclerosis (MS, n = 3), paraneoplastic myelopathy (n = 3), anterior spinal artery syndrome (n = 3), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (n = 2), spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (n = 2), intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (n = 1), myelopathic leukemia (n = 1) and syringomyelus (n = 1). For MR imaging, at least one lesion of each patient presented continuously longitudinal profile and whole-length spinal cord was involved in 11 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

LESCL may be caused by various diseases. And the imaging features may aid its diagnosis despite a lack of specificity.