Acute spinal cord injury: magnetic resonance imaging correlated with myelopathy.
Thirty-one patients (29 males and two females, 13-87 years of age (mean, 46.7 years] with acute spinal cord injury were studied by MR (magnetic resonance) imaging and the results were correlated with neurological findings. Magnetic resonance images were obtained with a 0.5 T superconductive MR scanner (Phillips Gyroscan S5). Initial imaging was performed within 24 hours after trauma in 13 patients, 1-7 days in 13 patients and 7-14 days in five patients. Twenty-six patients underwent follow-up examinations with MR imaging. Cord abnormalities including cord compression (23 patients), cord swelling (seven patients), and abnormal signal intensities on either T1 or T2-weighted images (26 patients) were observed on initial examination. Multivariate analysis showed that cord compression and abnormal intensities on T1-weighted images were important prognostic indicators. Hyperintensity on T2-weighted images was non-specific but correlated well with clinical recovery. Magnetic resonance imaging is useful in predicting the prognosis and for planning treatment following spinal cord injuries.
Yamashita
Y
Y
Department of Radiology, Kumamoto University, School of Medicine, Japan.
Takahashi
M
M
Matsuno
Y
Y
Kojima
R
R
Sakamoto
Y
Y
Oguni
T
T
Sakae
T
T
Kim
E E
EE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy