[Indications for and significance of computerized tomographic studies in radicular syndromes]

Radicular symptoms are produced by disc herniations or spinal stenoses, causing compression of the exiting nerve roots. For radiologic evaluation of lumbar radicular symptoms, computed tomography has the same diagnostic accuracy as myelography and therefore is the diagnostic modality of choice. In cases of recurrent radicular symptoms after operation for disc herniation, computed tomography is superior to myelography for differentiation between recurrent disc herniation and hypertrophic scar formation. Cervical computed tomography is less accurate for detection of cervical disc herniations, because the shoulders regularly produce severe artifacts at deeper levels C 6/7 and C 7/D1. For this reason, computed tomography is only recommended for diagnostic workup of cervical disc herniations at levels higher than C 6/7.