Subacute combined degeneration of the cord

Subacute combined degeneration. This vitamin B12-deficient patient illustrates the characteristic appearance of subacute combined degeneration in his cervical spinal cord. On this T2-weighted image, there is extensive abnormal high signal in the dorsal columns. While you might mention MS and transverse myelitis in the differential diagnosis for this example, it would be unusual for either of those conditions to result in a signal abnormality that extends over such a long segment of the spinal cord.