[Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of a herniated cervical disk ]

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Neurosurgery
• Spinal Diagnostics

Background:

• Cervical herniated disks affect numerous patients, necessitating accurate diagnostic methods.
• Previous diagnostic modalities like myelography have limitations in sensitivity and specificity.
• The association of cervical herniated disks with spondylosis and narrow spinal canals requires careful evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic reliability and accuracy of computed tomography (CT) for cervical herniated disks.
• To compare the efficacy of CT with myelography and surgical findings.
• To assess the morphological and topographical accuracy of CT in localizing cervical herniated disks.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 117 cervical herniated disks in 103 patients.
• Comparison of CT findings with myelographic and surgical data in 30 surgically treated cases.
• Detailed description of disk morphology, level, and intraspinal localization via CT.

Main Results:

• CT provided a correct diagnosis in 100% of surgically confirmed cases.
• Topographical localization of herniated disks by CT was accurate in all cases.
• Myelography showed lower sensitivity and specificity compared to CT for cervical herniated disk diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Computed tomography is a highly sensitive and specific imaging modality for diagnosing cervical herniated disks.
• CT accurately identifies the morphology, level, and intraspinal location of cervical herniated disks.
• CT is superior to myelography for the diagnosis of cervical herniated disks, especially when considering associated conditions like spondylosis and narrow canals.