title: Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine after epidural and nerve root injection therapy: evaluation of soft tissue changes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to evaluate soft tissue changes after nerve root and epidural injections in lumbar spine in patients with radiculopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent a multiple-shot injection protocol to nerve root/epidural space. The MRI protocol included T1-weighted, T2-weighted, STIR, and contrast-enhanced, fat-saturated T1-weighted sequences before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all treated patients, a diffuse wedge-shaped edema in paravertebral tissues with a slight contrast enhancement was seen. Two small hematomas in the paravertebral muscle were noted. No changes in the epidural space, the abscess, or a lipodystrophy in epidural/nerve root space occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal tissue changes after injection therapy of lumbar radiculopathy include wedge-shaped tissue edema at the injection level. In a minority of patients, small hematomas may occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Josef Hospital, University Hospital, Gudrunstrasse 56 44712 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: von Rothenburg
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drescher
authors.forename: Odo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koester
authors.forename: Gebhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal / Q000379:methods; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots