MRI findings of DREZ-otomy lesions.
Pre- and postoperative MR findings in the spinal cord of 4 patients who underwent lesioning of the cervical dorsal root entry zone (DREZ-otomy) are reported. In 3 patients with root avulsion, MR images revealed spinal cord atrophy preoperatively and, after DREZ-otomy, long-lasting spinal cord enlargement and extensive intramedullary changes. In a case without root avulsion, the preoperative MR study showed no apparent abnormality and the only postoperative MR change was a discrete lesion well confined to the dorsal horn. The findings suggested basically different post-operative pathology among patients with root avulsion and those without. MRI can be a useful supplement to autopsy study in defining postoperative spinal cord changes after DREZ-otomy.
Yoshida
M
M
Department of Neurosurgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Noguchi
S
S
Kuga
S
S
Muteki
T
T
Kojima
K
K
Abe
T
T
Akeda
N
N
Kuramoto
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm; D001284:Atrophy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000601:surgery*