[Syrinx-like artifact on MR images of the spinal cord]

We evaluated the syrinx like artifact on midline sagittal MR images of cervical spine. This artifact appeared as linear regions of low intensity along the length of the spinal cord. This artifact was frequently seen. And, when it appear as a single midline band, it mimics pathological conditions such as a syrinx. We found that this artifact eliminated by increasing the number of phase encoding steps, or decreasing the field of view. These method were useful for differentiation of artifact from syrinx.