title: Does increased signal intensity of the spinal cord on MR images due to cervical myelopathy predict prognosis?
abstract: We examined whether or not high signal intensity change on magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord of patients with cervical myelopathy is related to the clinical symptoms and prognosis. Twenty-five patients with cervical myelopathy were treated by decompressive surgery which involved laminoplasty or decompressive anterior interbody fusion. The pathological conditions were cervical disc herniation (n = 8), ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine (n = 7), and cervical spondylotic myelopathy (n = 10). The spinal cord compression and the intramedullary signal intensity at the site of maximum compression were evaluated pre- and postoperatively using T1- and T2-weighted images. There was no significant relationship between spinal cord compressive change and clinical symptoms. Patients in whom the high signal change of the spinal cord on T2-weighted sequence recovered after decompressive surgery had better recovery from clinical symptoms, but a statistical significance was not found. We suggest that signal changes on T2-weighted images may reflect pathological changes but cannot be used to predict prognosis at present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morio
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuranobu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tuda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion