Relationship among the Myelography, MRI and EMG in Young Patients with Low Back Pain or Radiating Pain

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the relationship among the myelography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electromyography (EMG) findings in young patients with low back pain, and we wanted to assess the significance of the spinal geometric measurements as well as type of disc herniation seen on MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four young men with lower back pain were included, and they were all clinically suspected of suffering with lumbar disc herniation. All of them underwent myelography, MRI and EMG. We measured spinal geometry including the anteroposterior diameters of the central canal and thecal sac, the interlaminar distance, the width of the lateral recess and the thickness of the ligamentum flavum, and we evaluated for root deviation as well as disc herniation on the MRIs. We compared the types of disc herniation on MRI with the myelography and EMG findings. Also, we investigated the correlation of the spinal geometric measurements on MRI with the EMG and myelography findings. RESULTS: The types of disc herniation on MRI were not significantly related to the myelography (p = 0.298) and EMG findings (p = 0.372). The EMG findings were not related to either the myelography findings (p = 0.435) or the spinal geometric measurements (p > 0.05) on MRI. Nerve root compression that was noted on myelography was related to the thecal sac AP diameter (p = 0.016) and the width of the lateral recess (p = 0.011). There were no correlations between myelography and the findings of root deviation on MRI (p=0.052). CONCLUSION: MRI can play an excellent diagnostic role for young patients with radiculopathy or lower back pain. It could increase the diagnostic accuracy if it is used in conjunction with myelography and EMG. The narrowing of thecal sac AP diameter and the width of lateral recess rather than the type of disc herniation on MRI were well correlated with the myelography and EMG findings.

Ultrasonographic Findings of Weber-Christian Disease of the Breast: A Case Report

Weber-Christian disease is a rare inflammatory disease of subcutaneous fat necrosis that may or may not involve systemic disease. We report the results of a breast sonograph of a case diagnosed as a form of an acute lobular panniculitis affecting the breasts and upper limbs.

Cystic Lymphangioma Involving the Mesentery and the Retroperitoneum: A Case Report

Cystic lymphangioma is uncommon angiomatous tumor that mainly occurs in the neck. Less than 1% of these tumors affect the mesentery, retroperitoneum and greater omentum. In particular, the cystic lymphangioma involving the mesentery and the retroperitoneum is a rare lesion. We report here on an uncommon case of cystic lymphangioma that presented as a multilocular mass involving the mesentery and the retroperitoneum, and we also present a brief review of the relevant literature.

MR Imaging of Congenital Heart Disease

MRI is useful for demonstrating the anatomy of various congenital cardiac lesions and plays an important role in the diagnosis of congenital cardiac lesions. Its large field of view and unlimited imaging planes enable the depiction of complex lesions, the complicated three-dimensional relations of the cardiac chambers and anomalies of the central pulmonary arteries, the systemic and pulmonary veins, and aorta. We describe the normal MR anatomy and MR imaging findings of a variety of congenital pathologies of the heart, in order to provide a better understanding and facilitate the interpretation of the MR features of various congenital heart diseases.