[Magnetic resonance tomography in the diagnosis of spinal cord tumors]

The authors generalize experience in the examination of 245 patients with suspected disease of the spinal cord by means of the Acutscan magnetic resonance tomograph (Instrumentarium firm, Finland) with ultralow intensity of the magnetic field. The application of the new method in neuroradiologic diagnosis--magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) possessing certain advantages over computed tomography and myelography enables the authors to make the correct topical diagnosis in most cases and visualize the inner structure of the tumor and its relation with the structures of the spinal canal. Tumors of the spinal cord were detected in 102 patients: intramedullary in 24, extramedullary-intradural in 31, extradural in 13, and craniospinal in 34 patients. It was established from analysis of the results that MRT possesses high informativeness in cases of intradural tumors of the spinal cord.