[MR myelography: analysis of 126 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the value and limitation of MR myelography (MRM) in depicting the spinal canal obstruction.


METHODS
Heavily T2-weighted coronal MR myelography was performed with 3D fast-spin-echo (FSE) and fat-suppression sequence in 126 cases, including 6 cerebellomedullary cistern, 18 cervical, 19 thoracic and 83 lumbar cases. The resulting slice were then projected into a composite image using a standard maxium intensity projection (MIP) algorithm.


RESULTS
90.5% (114/126) of MRM yielded reproducible high-quality image of the spinal thecal sac. 106 lesions (extradural, intradural, intramedullary) were detected in 101 cases (80.2%). The level and degree of spinal canal obstruction were visualized and confirmed by operation in 66 cases with a high sensitivity of 100%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 91.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
Heavily T2 FSE MR myelography is a noninvasive and reliable method. MRM surpasses conventional and CT myelography and could replace them in some degree.
Wang
W
W
Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
Zhang
X
X
Lu
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009192:Myelography / Q000379:methods; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*