title: Thoracic disc herniation and spinal cord compression. MRI and gadolinium-enhancement.
abstract: The authors present a study of 6 patients aimed at assessing the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging with gadolinium-enhancement in the diagnosis of thoracic disc herniation. The results of MRI were compared with the findings of computed tomography, myelography and surgery. In two patients, the signal from the herniated disc was so low on all sequences that thoracic disc herniation was diagnosed only on the mass effect on the cord. The anterior longitudinal epidural venous plexus (AEVP) is displaced posteriorly and thickened in case of thoracic disc herniation. Gadolinium-enhancement of AEVP was marked in these conditions, giving a "tent-like" round configuration, or "lifted band" appearance. The exact volume and mass effect of the thoracic disc herniation were assessed by T1-enhanced images on the sagittal and axial planes.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neuroradiologie, Hôpital de la Pitié, Paris.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boukobza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tebeka
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sichez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capelle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009192:Myelography / Q000379:methods; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium