[Utility of spinal MRI tractography and spinal MRI angiography in the diagnosis of spastic diplegia].

There are different views on the nature of cerebral palsy, but no one has been accepted commonly. Since, every new observation of this disorder based on thorough clinical examination could convert the obscurity into clear and simple conception. We report the case of 4-year-old boy with lower paraplegia and speech retardation. The tonus was increased bilaterally in gastrocnemius muscles and thigh adductors. The muscle tonus was decreased in iliopsous. Electrophysiological examination revealed signs of decreased excitability of motoneurons at the level L 2 - S 2. MRI has confirmed lesions of spinal cord at that level in addition to injury at thoracic level and brain lesions. MRI spinal angiography has detected tortuous anterior spinal artery. The boy benefited from the electrophoresis with theophylllinum, applied on lower thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae with improvement of his legs motor skills. Our presentation testifies to involvement of spinal cord and benefits from therapy applied on spine and, thus, confirms the initial description of cerebral palsy in 1853 made by English surgeon James Little.