Spinal and paraspinal neurofibromatosis: surface coil MR imaging at 1.5 T1

Twelve patients with neurofibromatosis affecting the spine and paraspinal regions were examined with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed using a 1.5-T magnet, surface coils, and spin-echo pulse sequences. In all 11 patients with neurofibromas, these tumors had slightly greater signal intensity than muscle on T1-weighted images and markedly increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images. In seven patients central areas of decreased signal intensity within the neurofibromas were demonstrated on T2-weighted images. In one patient these central areas corresponded pathologically to relatively fibrous components of the tumors surrounded by myxoid matrix. Five patients had extensive plexiform neurofibromatosis, one had lateral meningoceles, one had a neurofibrosarcoma, three had extradural spinal cord compression, and two had cystic intramedullary tumors of the spinal cord. The ability to obtain high-resolution, multiplanar images in a noninvasive fashion makes surface coil MR imaging an ideal technique for evaluating neurofibromatosis involving the spinal cord, spinal canal, and paraspinal soft tissues.