Cervical spinal MRI in a patient with a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS)

Cranial MRI has been shown to be a safe procedure in patients with a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS), but body MRI may cause overheating of the stimulator lead. Here we report a case of a patient with an implanted vagus nerve stimulator who required a cervical spinal MRI due to a rapidly progressive paraparesis. The spinal MRI was performed in a 1.5T scanner without complications showing a nearly complete compression of the spinal cord.