An application of moderately T2-weighted 3D TSE-FS pulse sequence to MRI myelography in investigation of patient with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.

ABSTRACT

Conventional MRI and MRI-myelography studies were classified as positive when morphological alterations noted correlated with clinical presentations. This study was to analyse the usefulness of MRI myelography of the cervical spine using technique of moderate T2-weighted Three Dimensional Turbo Spin Echo-Fat Sequence pulse sequence in identifying nerve root compression in patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. MRI myelogram detected less nerve root compression 5% but conventional MRI 8%. Clinical findings were significantly associated with imaging findings in both imaging techniques (p<0.001). MRI myelogram overreported 45 and conventional MRI over-reported 80 nerve roots compression when correlated with clinical presentation (p<0.001). There was 50% alteration on conventional MRI when viewed together with MRI myelogram. There was significant difference with nerve root compression and clinical findings between MRI myelogram and conventional MRI (p<0.001). MRI myelogram underestimated the number of nerve roots compressed but it altered the interpretation of conventional MRI in 5% cases when viewed together. The addition of MRI myelogram increased the number of positive nerve roots. MRI myelogram is a useful adjunct to conventional axial and sagittal imaging in the investigation of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.