title: Lumbar spinal stenosis with exacerbation of back pain with extension: a potential contraindication for supine MRI with sedation.
abstract: A 71-year-old male with lumbar spinal stenosis developed exacerbation of lower back pain and leg paresthesias while attempting to undergo a spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the supine position. After undergoing sedation for the MRI, he developed an acute cauda equina syndrome that required surgical decompression. MRI may be contraindicated in the supine position for patients with spinal stenosis and back pain exacerbated by mild-to-moderate extension, since it may further compress the neural tissue.
authors.affiliation: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D016683:Supine Position