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Preliminary Diagnosis: Cerebellar Degeneration
I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis?
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Noncontrast CT of the brain
II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of cerebellar degeneration.
Advantages
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Less expensive than MRI
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Faster to peform than MRI
Disadvantages
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Exposes patients to ionizing radiation.
III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?
May be contraindicated in pregnant patients.
IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?
Contrast MRI of the brain.
V. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative techniques for diagnosis of cerebellar degeneration.
Contrast MRI of the brain
Advantages
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Able to better detect any underlying cerebellar abnormalities with greater specificity and sensitivity that may be associated with focal degeneration
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Allows exquisite soft tissue visualization
Disadvantages
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Less adept at characterizing the surrounding osseous structures
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Subject to motion artifact due to extensive length of the examination degrading image quality
VI. What are the contraindications for the alternative imaging techniques?
Contrast MRI of the brain
Contraindicated in patients with non-MR-compatible hardware
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