title: Magnetic resonance imaging of pediatric spinal dysraphism.
abstract: Thirty pediatric patients with spinal dysraphism were studied with magnetic resonance imaging. A variety of dysraphic anomalies were visualized, including syringohydromyelia, tethered cord, widened spinal canal, meningomyelocele, lipomyelomeningocele, lipomeningocele, intraspinal lipoma, congenital dermal sinus tract, and scoliosis. In 29 of 30 cases, MRI diagnostically visualized spinal cord and dysraphic anatomy. A combination of T1-weighted sagittal and axial imaging planes provided the most complete visualization. In specific cases, T2-weighted examinations were useful in demonstrating likely regions of inflammation bordering infected sinus tracts. MRI demonstrates a wide variety of dysraphic spinal anomalies and effectively screens children for occult spinal dysraphism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, LAC/USC Medical Center 90033.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rindahl
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Colletti
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Zee
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000175:diagnosis; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000175:diagnosis