title: SPECTRUM OF SPINAL ABNORMALITIES ON MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF PATIENTS WITH CLINICAL SUSPICION OF SPINAL LESIONS IN KANO, NIGERIA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine is a powerful tool for evaluation, assessment of severity, and follow up of diseases of the spine. It is one of the most sensitive diagnostic tests for detecting anatomic abnormalities of the spine and the adjacent structures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the pattern of spinal abnormalities on MRI in Kano, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients aged between 2 and 95 years who had spinal MRI with AIRIS II TOSHIBA (0.5T) Tesla machine from January to December 2013 were reviewed. Information concerning age, gender, region and findings were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and sixty one patients made up of187 males and 74 females were reviewed. Their ages ranged from 2 to 95 years with the mean of 46.43 ± 15.7 years. Lumbo-sacral MRI was the most commonly performed (46.4 %) followed by cervical (44.1%), thoraco-lumbar spine (4.2%), thoracic spine (3.8%) and cervical and lumbar (1.5%). The most common indication of MRI was low back pain in 211 (80.8% ) patients followed by trauma in 36 (17.8% ) patients. About 19.6% of the MRI examinations were normal while spondylosis and moderate disc prolapse was seen in 31.5% and compressive fracture comprised 7.3% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lumbo-sacral MRI was the commonest MRI in this study and the commonest indications for MRI were low back pain and trauma while the commonest findings were spondylosis, disc prolapse, compressive fracture and spinal metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Suwaid
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Federal Medical Center, Katsina, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Idris
keywords: Disc prolapse; Kano; Low backache; Nigeria; Spinal MRI; Spondylosis; Trauma