[Comparison between myelography and discography for lumbar prolapsed intervertebral discs (author's transl)]

For the diagnosis of lumbar P.I.D. discography is much superior to myelography. The risks of both techniques are the same, but the side-effects of discography are clearly less. Higher lesions remain a problem if they do not show up neurologically (s. the prolapsed disc at L 2/3). Here segmental blocking, posterior gaping of the intervertebral space and displacement of the dural sac show clearly the posterior prolapse. In the standard discogram of the lower 3 discs it would have been missed. In spite of this our present experience with lumbar discography is so positive, that we are about to test a long term series, whether and to which extend discography could replace myelography in cases where there is no hint at a space-occupying lesion, other than a disc or whether the order of these investigations should be reversed.