[Spinal cord injury and syringomyelia]

Spinal cord injuries often occur in cases of multiple trauma, can occur alone or in combination with concomitant injuries and are mostly associated with high morbidity and mortality. They often result in lifelong impairment and need for medical care. Radiologic diagnostics are crucial in the acute setting as well as in the long-term treatment of spinal cord injuries. Besides an overview of diagnostic and therapeutic management, typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the acute and chronic stages of spinal cord injuries are presented in this article. Post-traumatic syringomyelia can even develop years after the initial injury of the spine or spinal cord. As syringomyelia can also occur in association with tumors, developmental anomalies and also idiopathically, a thorough MRI diagnostic is essential especially in any case of newly diagnosed syringomyelia.