Magnetic Resonance Lmaging and Surgical Decision of the Degenerative Cervical Spine Lesions

ABSTRACT

We undertook a retrospective analysis of 30 patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery Dongsan Medical Center Keimyung University utilizing Magnetic Resonanace Imaging(MRI) to make diagnosis and surgical indication of degenerative cervical spine lesions. All patients were taken T1 Weighted Image(T1W1) T2 Weighted Image(T2WI) and gradient echo image on 2.0 Tesla unit. Pre- and postoperative MRI were obtained seven of 15 cases with myelopathy. All patients could be evaluated the extent and degree of disc herniation, osteophytes and cord compression. A focal area of High-Signal-Intensity(HIS) was observed on T2WI in 15 patients with mydlopathy predominantly. HIS diminished postoperatively in the patients who improved clinically and remained the same in one case whose condition remained unchanged after decompression. We think MRI with high resolution images in the initial procedure of choice in decision-making of patients with degenerative cervical spine lesion. Furthermore HIS of the spinal cord produced by compressive lesions appears to be an important indicator for predicting prognosis of patients with myelopathy.