Abstract
Postoperative telecobalt irradiation was performed with a biologically effective extrapolated
response dose of 165 Gy2 delivered to the spinal cord of a papillary thyroid cancer patient. Incomplete cervical
transection developed, followed by a gradual functional improvement, which is still
continuing 8 years after radiotherapy. Between the 6th and 8th years of the clinical
course, positron emission tomography investigations demonstrated an increased 18F-deoxyglucose accumulation and 15O-butanol perfusion, but negligible 11C-methionine uptake in the irradiated spinal cord segment. We suggest that the increased
metabolism and perfusion, and the lack of detectable protein synthesis may be related
to the increased energy demands of action potential conduction, due to the higher
than normal density of sodium channels along demyelinated axons displaying restored
conduction.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
November 21,
1998
Received in revised form:
October 6,
1998
Received:
June 10,
1998
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
