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MRI artifacts following anterior cervical diskectomy
J L Salazar1, M Misra, D Bloom
1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois at Chicago 60612, USA.
Surgical Neurology
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Postoperative MRI can create metallic artifacts that mimic spinal cord compression. Routine CT scans and clinical evaluation help differentiate these artifacts from actual pathology, preventing misdiagnosis in neurosurgical patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial in neurosurgery but prone to artifacts.
- Subtle artifacts can be mistaken for false pathology, complicating interpretation.
- Postoperative MRI introduces unique artifact challenges for clinicians.
Observation:
- Four cases of anterior cervical decompression with bony fusion presented with postoperative cervical MRI showing "false compression" of the spinal cord.
- Computed tomography (CT) scans and clinical evaluation ruled out actual cord compression.
Findings:
- Postoperative MRI artifacts, particularly after anterior cervical diskectomy, can significantly complicate image interpretation.
- These artifacts do not represent actual cord or root compression.
- Routine X-rays or CT scans can confirm the absence of compression.
Implications:
- Metallic artifacts in postoperative MRI can lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary clinical concern.
- Thin-cut CT scans may miss these artifacts, highlighting MRI's sensitivity.
- Proper clinical evaluation, optimized MRI techniques, and physician education are essential to mitigate artifact-induced false alarms.