A 72 year-old man presented with an unsteady gait.  His exam showed increased tone and reflexes in the legs and bilateral Babinski signs.  His vibration sense was markedly decreased in the legs.

T2 weighted MRI scans of the cervical spine (top scans - sagittal images; bottom scans - axial images; left - patient; right - normal).  In the patient scans on the left, note the severe stenosis.  On T2 weighted scans, CSF is white.  On the patient scans, the CSF is essentially completely obliterated; also note the marked deformity of the spinal cord on the axial image.  Cervical stenosis is a common cause of gait disturbance in the elderly.

Revised 05/04/06.
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