CT-diskography in patients with sciatica. Comparison with plain CT and MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
The findings at CT-diskography (CT-D), including recording of the pain introduced at contrast injection, were compared with plain CT and MR imaging in 111 disks in 101 patients aged 18 to 68 years.


RESULTS
Six disks which were normal at CT had normal CT-D and 5 of them had normal signal on MR imaging. The degree of annular degeneration and the depth of the annular tears were significantly associated with each other and with loss of disk height, but not with size or location of the hernias. Only the depth of the tears was significantly associated with loss of signal on MR. However, frequently complete annular tears and severe annular degeneration were seen in association with small bulges and hernias, even in disks with normal or slightly reduced signal on MR and with normal height. The type and intensity of the pain introduced were associated with each other and with the depth of the annular tears, but not with the degree of annular degeneration, size of the hernia or the MR signal intensity of the disks.


CONCLUSIONS
Annular degeneration and tears on one hand, and the type and intensity of pain introduced on the other, seem to be related than separate phenomena.
Dullerud
R
R
Department of Radiology, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Johansen
J G
JG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012585:Sciatica / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media