Spinal cord enlargement with increased T2 signal related to lesions producing venous hypertension

This paper reports on the presence of spinal cord enlargement over a considerable range above and below intramedullary hemangioblastomas and postulated that this was edema secondary to venous congestion. The authors observed a similar finding in three patients with other lesions that could cause venous congestion. MR studies of three patients were reviewed. The diagnoses were dural arteriovenous malformation at the craniocervical junction, intramedullary ependymoma at the craniocervical junction, and hemangiopericytoma of the thoracic spinal cord. Pre- and postoperative T1- and T2-weighted sagittal images were retrospectively reviewed to assess the cord diameter and T2-weighted signal intensity away from the lesion