Contrast enhancement in spinal MR imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1989 Aug;153(2):387-91
Date
08/01/1989Pubmed ID
2750625DOI
10.2214/ajr.153.2.387Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0024319977 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 31 CitationsAbstract
We evaluated 44 patients with suspected spinal tumors or previous laminectomies with gadolinium-DTPA MR imaging in order to characterize the enhancement in normal, postoperative, and neoplastic intraspinal tissue. Using the signal intensity of CSF as an internal control, we calculated the percentage increase in signal intensity from pre- to postgadolinium studies. Tumors (astrocytoma, ependymoma, schwannoma) enhanced 70-350%; epidural scar, normal epidural venous plexus, and dorsal root ganglion enhanced up to 200%. Contrast enhancement does not per se distinguish neoplastic from normal tissue. Enhancement with gadolinium-DTPA appeared to increase the conspicuousness of intramedullary tumors but not intraosseous metastases. We believe that gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging is a valuable adjunct to routine MR imaging in the evaluation of intraspinal neoplastic processes and may be useful in delineating normal and postoperative structures in the spinal canal.
Author List
Breger RK, Williams AL, Daniels DL, Czervionke LF, Mark LP, Haughton VM, Papke RA, Coffer MMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Contrast MediaGadolinium DTPA
Humans
Laminectomy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Organometallic Compounds
Pentetic Acid
Spinal Cord Neoplasms
Spinal Neoplasms