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Intramedullary increased MR signal intensity and its relation to clinical features in cervical myelopathy
F Puzzilli1, L Mastronardi, A Ruggeri
1Department of Neurological Sciences, Neurosurgery II, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Areas of intramedullary hyperintensity in patients with cervical spondylogenetic myelopathy (CSM) have been described and studied by several authors.
Methods:
In the present study, 100 patients were reappraised and divided into 2 groups according to whether or not MRI detected areas of hyperintensity on T2-weighted images.
Results:
Statistical analysis demonstrated that intramedullary hyperintensity is most frequently associated with severe impairment of deambulation, muscular hypotonus-hypotrophy and hypoesthesias of the upper limbs.
Conclusions:
These radiological findings probably correspond to various types of lesions which, when irreversible, may influence postoperative neurological recovery.