[Periradiculographic and CT examination in the differential diagnosis of pain after intervertebral disk surgery]

Between February 1, 1982 and December 31, 1988 at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the Faculty Hospital and Policlinic in Kosice on account of justified suspicion of a relapse of discogenic compression of the lumbosacral spinal roots 102 patients were re-operated (38 women, 64 men) aged 18 to 65 years (mean 39.5 years). Of these three who were hypersensitive to iodine were reoperated at a time when the hospital did not yet possess a CT based on clinical symptoms. In 61 patients the indicated re-operation was supported by the conclusions of periradiculographic, in 21 of native CT and in 17 based on both mentioned examinations. Comparison of the surgical findings with the X-ray findings revealed that on periradiculography the conclusion was in complete agreement in 31 patients, in another 27 partial agreement (a total of 73.3% patients examined in this way), in those examined by CT there was complete agreement in 16 and partial agreement in 11 (i.e. 71.1% on this sub-group). Neither of the two examination methods was quite reliable for indication of re-pleration of intervertebral discs.