REVIEW ARTICLE Neuroimaging in Superficial Siderosis:

N. Kumar SUMMARY: Despite extensive imaging, a source of bleeding is often not evident during the evaluation of patients with superficial siderosis (SS) of the central nervous system. An intraspinal fluid-filled collection of variable dimensions is frequently seen on spine MR imaging in patients with idiopathic SS. A similar finding has also been reported in patients with craniospinal hypotension. This review discusses the role of multitechnique imaging in the work-up of patients with SS and focuses on recent developments. Superficial siderosis (SS) of the central nervous system(CNS) results from hemosiderin deposition in the subpial layers of the brain and spinal cord.1-4 The hemosiderin depo-sition is a consequence of recurrent and persistent bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The ability of the brain to bio-synthesize ferritin in response to prolonged contact with he-moglobin iron is important in the pathogenesis of SS.4-7 Ac-celerated ferritin synthesis in the Bergmann glia of the cerebellum may account for preferential cerebellar involvement.