From the Research
Leptomeningeal enhancement is not a feature of Graham disease, as Graham disease is not a recognized medical condition in standard medical literature, but rather it is associated with Wilson's disease, a genetic disorder that leads to copper accumulation in the brain and liver.
Significance of Leptomeningeal Enhancement
Leptomeningeal enhancement on imaging studies like MRI indicates inflammation or abnormal activity in the meninges, which can be seen in various conditions including infections, autoimmune disorders, malignancies, and neurosarcoidosis.
Conditions Associated with Leptomeningeal Enhancement
Some of the conditions associated with leptomeningeal enhancement include:
- Infections (meningitis) 1
- Autoimmune disorders, such as MOG-IgG-associated encephalomyelitis 2
- Malignancies (carcinomatosis) 1
- Neurosarcoidosis
- Leptomeningeal amyloidosis associated with transthyretin mutations 3
- Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal/neuroepithelial tumors 4
Treatment of Leptomeningeal Enhancement
Treatment depends entirely on the underlying cause.
- For infectious causes, appropriate antimicrobial therapy is needed.
- For inflammatory conditions, corticosteroids like dexamethasone or prednisone may be prescribed 2.
- For malignant causes, oncology consultation and cancer-specific treatments are required 1.
Importance of Urgent Neurological Evaluation
If you're experiencing neurological symptoms with imaging showing leptomeningeal enhancement, urgent neurological evaluation is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment 2, 3. The enhancement pattern occurs because contrast agents leak into the subarachnoid space when the blood-brain barrier is compromised by disease processes.
Recent Studies
A recent study published in 2024 found that leptomeningeal enhancement in multiple sclerosis may be affected by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 5. Another study published in 2021 found that leptomeningeal amyloidosis associated with transthyretin mutations can cause cognitive decline, headache, and numbness, and can be diagnosed with MRI and genetic testing 3.