Articles

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742 results found
Article

Schmorl nodes

Schmorl nodes, also known as intravertebral disc herniations, refer to protrusions of the cartilage of the intervertebral disc through the vertebral body endplate and into the adjacent vertebra. The protrusions may contact the marrow of the vertebra, leading to inflammation. Epidemiology Quies...
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Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (less commonly known as Bechterew disease or Marie-Strümpell disease) is a seronegative spondyloarthropathy, which results in fusion (ankylosis) of the spine and sacroiliac (SI) joints, although involvement is also seen in large and small joints. Epidemiology Traditional...
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Paracondylar process

The paracondylar process, also known as the paraoccipital, paramastoid, parajugular or estiloid process, is a rare anatomical variant of the occipital where a bony exostosis extends caudally from the paracondylar region (lateral to the native occipital condyles), typically articulating with the ...
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Disc protrusion

Disc protrusions are a type of disc herniation characterized by protrusion of disc content beyond the normal confines of the intervertebral disc, over a segment less than 25% of the circumference of the disc. The width of the base is wider than the largest diameter of the disc material which pro...
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Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a severe demyelinating diseases, which in seropositive cases, is caused by an autoantibody to the aquaporin-4 water channel. The classic presentation of NMOSD is with the triad of optic neuritis, longitudinally extensive myelitis, and positive an...
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Epidural spinal cord compression scale

The epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) scale, sometimes known eponymously as the Bilsky scale, is used to assess the degree to which vertebral body metastasis compromises the spinal canal and whether cord compression is present. It may serve as a guide as to when intervention (radiotherapy ...
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CT myelography

CT myelography (CTM) is a myelography technique used mainly to assess for potential spinal canal stenosis when MRI is contraindicated or when dynamic imaging is required. History CT myelography was first performed in 1976 2 and became the gold standard for imaging the spinal canal and cord unt...
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Facet joint injection

Facet (zygapophyseal) joint injections are performed primarily for the diagnosis and differentiation of facet syndrome and radicular pain syndrome, and are one of the spinal interventional procedures. They can be performed under fluoroscopic, or CT image guidance, and cervical, thoracic or most ...
Article

Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor

Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (previously known as disseminated oligodendroglial-like leptomeningeal tumor of childhood) is a rare tumor of the central nervous system. It typically presents with hydrocephalus secondary to prominent leptomeningeal enhancement, often without a readily ...
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Anterior vertebral body tether (AVBT)

Anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) is a fusionless technique for treating and managing idiopathic scoliosis in skeletally immature patients to reduce the typical side effects of rigid posterior fusion (such as loss of spinal motion and risks adjacent segment degeneration later in life) 1,3...
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Autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. The autonomic system provides innervation of the involuntary muscles, i.e. myocardium and smooth muscle, and glands, through which fine control of homeostasis is maintained. The afferent innervation of the aut...
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Parasympathetic nervous system

The parasympathetic nervous system (PaNS/PNS), mediated by the head and neck ganglia and pelvic splanchnic nerves, is a major division of the autonomic nervous system. It is composed of general visceral afferent and efferent axons that allow for involuntary control of bodily functions via severa...
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Sympathetic nervous system

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), mediated by the sympathetic chain (trunk) and ganglia, is a major division of the autonomic nervous system. It is composed of general visceral afferent and efferent axons that allow for involuntary control of bodily functions via the hypothalamus.  The over...
Article

Spinal epidural venous plexus congestion

Spinal epidural venous plexus congestion or dilatation is typically a complication of other pathologies.  Clinical presentation Radiculopathy caused by the dilated epidural veins is not uncommon 1. More severe symptoms such as cauda equina compression syndrome have been reported 6, 7. Patholo...
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Spondyloptosis

Spondyloptosis is a term to denote grade V spondylolisthesis - a vertebra having slipped so far with respect to the vertebra below that the two endplates are no longer congruent. It is usually anterolisthesis of L5 on S1 but can be seen elsewhere rarely 1,2. 
Article

Inverted Napoleon hat sign

The inverted Napoleon hat sign is a radiologic sign seen on the frontal pelvic or lumbar radiograph at the level of the 5th lumbar vertebra and the sacrum. It is seen when there is bilateral spondylolysis with marked anterolisthesis of L5 on S1 or marked exaggeration of the normal lordosis at t...
Article

Butterfly vertebra

Butterfly vertebra, also sometimes known as a sagittal cleft vertebra or anterior rachischisis, is a type of vertebral anomaly that results from the failure of fusion of the lateral halves of the vertebral body because of persistent notochordal tissue between them. Pathology Butterfly vertebra...
Article

Occipital vertebra

Occipital vertebrae are rare anatomical variants that result from incomplete or aberrant fusion of occipital bone ossification centers. There is a broad spectrum of occipital vertebrae, the more common variants include: third condyle (condylus tertius) basilar process prebasioccipital arch p...
Article

Angiolipoma

Angiolipomas are rare soft tissue tumors composed of mature adipocytes and vessels. They most commonly arise in the subcutaneous tissues of the extremities. Please refer to the epidural (spinal) angiolipoma article for a specific discussion. The remainder of this article describes the general f...
Article

Fluoroscopic myelography

Fluoroscopic myelography is a technique that allows the visualization of the theca by the introduction of contrast medium into the CSF. This is usually accomplished by a lumbar puncture, or less commonly a suboccipital puncture. The patient can then be tilted and rotated to cause the contrast, ...

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