Bilateral Hippocampus Changes on MRI in Transient Global Amnesia

Abstract

AbstractTransient Global Amnesia (TGA) is a dynamic condition. An undefined event causesanterograde amnesia (sometimes with retrograde amnesia) that lasts in a day and preserves ofself-identity and of consciousness. Epilepsy, migraine and ischemic events are the possiblecauses for different hypothesis but still unproven. Sixty three years old woman admitted toemergency department because of amnesia. She felt ill herself and was repeatedly askingsimilar questions and making same sentences in that period. She was not remember doingthings nearby, but she was fully conscious to time, places, herself and her relatives.Neurological examination was normal except the anterograde and partly retrograde amnesia.Within amnesic period, Isotropic Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) and ADC (ApparentDiffusion Coefficient) maps revealed hyper and hypo intensities on MRI respectively at bothhippocampus (slightly more prominent at left side) while T1, T2 weighted and FluidAttenuated Inversion recovery (FLAIR) images were normal. T1W+C images revealedbilateral contrast enhancements at hippocampus, and more prominent at the left side. Bilateralhippocampus MRI signal changes in our patient within the amnesic period are the reflectionsof the abnormal cellular functions in a TGA patient