Central pontine myelinolysis with a hyperintense lesion in diffusion weighted MRI: overview by means of a case report]

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a demyelinating disease of the pons often associated with demyelination of other areas of the central nervous system (CNS). The etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder are still not fully understood. However, almost all cases of CPM are related to severe diseases or chronic alcoholism and occur in the setting of rapidly corrected serum hyponatremia and hypotonicity respectively. Depending on the involvement of other CNS structures, the clinical picture can vary considerably. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most sensitive investigation for the antemortem diagnosis of CPM, although the radiological findings lag behind and do not necessarily correlate with the clinical picture. Quite obviously diffusion-weighted imaging can be useful in the rapid diagnosis of CPM. This short review summarizes the current knowledge on the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, radiological findings, prognosis and therapeutic approaches of CPM. Characteristical clinical features and MR-findings including hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted images are illustrated by a typical case.