title: Pantopaque mimicking spinal lipoma: MR pitfall.
abstract: We present a patient with an intraspinal, high-signal-intensity lesion in the lumbosacral region on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and a thin line of signal void between this region and the CSF on T2-weighted images. These findings were interpreted initially as representing an extradural spinal lipoma. However, CT revealed an intrathecal collection of iophendylate (Pantopaque), which was subsequently removed via a lumbar puncture. The apparent separation of Pantopaque from the CSF (seen on T2-weighted images and interpreted as the dura) was probably caused by chemical shift artifact, chemical shift contour, and/or CSF motion artifact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suojanen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Winston
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007462:Iodobenzenes; D007481:Iophendylate; D008067:Lipoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D007462:Iodobenzenes; D007481:Iophendylate