Lumbar Epidural Venography in the Diagnosis of Lumbar Disc Herniation / 대한정형외과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

Epidural venography is a relatively simple and highly accurate method in the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation. Angiographic visualization of the epidural vein has been tried and investigated by intraosseus injection of contrast agent into lumbar spinous process and intravascular injection into iliac vein since first report in 1954. Recently, lumbar epidural venography is instituted by selective catheterization of ascending lumbar vein or internal iliac vein. Lumbar epidural venography is valuable for the diagnosis of herniated lumbar disc, not demonstrated by myelography. Especially, lumbar epidural venography is more accurate than myelography in the diagnosis of L5-Sl disc herniation and in the case of extreme lateral herniation. Other advantages of epidural venography are low incidence of complication and ease of performance. Epidural venography may be recommended as an alternative rnethod rather than as adjunctive to myelography. We report 20 cases of epidural venography, compared with myelographic and operative findings.