Consecutive cerebral MRI findings of acute relapsing disseminated encephalomyelitis

A seven year old girl with acute relapsing disseminated encephalomyelitis (ARDEM) was observed with serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. She had the first encephalomyelitis episode at the age of 2 years 9 months. She entered remission with steroid therapy. She suffered a recurrence at the age of 7. Steroid therapy was instituted and consecutive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. In spite of rapid improvement of neurological abnormality with steroid and steroid pulse therapy, disseminated high intensity lesions in T₂-weighted imaging which were considered as demyelination remained for a long time. Magnetic resonance imaging seems to be most suitable for evaluating the clinical condition and long-term follow-up of ARDEM.