Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and continuously improved upon by countless contributing members. Our dedicated editors oversee each edit for accuracy and style. Find out more about articles.
742 results found
Article
Spinal dysraphism
Spinal dysraphisms refer to a broad group of malformations affecting the spine and/or surrounding structures in the dorsum of the embryo. They are a form of neural tube defect.
Pathology
The neural tube is formed by the lengthwise closure of the neural plate, in the dorsum of the embryo.
The ...
Article
Sacral insufficiency fracture
Sacral insufficiency fractures are a subtype of stress fractures, which are the result of normal stresses on abnormal bone, most frequently seen in the setting of osteoporosis. They fall under the broader group of pelvic insufficiency fractures.
Epidemiology
Risk factors
Risk factors are thos...
Article
Autonomic dysreflexia
Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a life-threatening condition prevalent amongst patients with high spinal cord injury (SCI) and may occur any time after injury. It is a syndrome characterized by an exaggerated reflex increase in blood pressure, usually accompanied by bradycardia in response to a st...
Article
Bagel sign (Behçet disease)
The bagel sign is a radiological sign appreciated on MRI spine that is described in patients with neuro-Behçet disease-associated myelitis.
The sign describes the involvement of the spinal cord as seen on axial T2 sequences in patients with myelitis, whereby there is a round hyperintense lesion...
Article
Trident sign (neurosarcoidosis)
The trident sign is a radiological (MRI) sign described in spinal cord neurosarcoidosis.
The sign is formed by the axial appearance of a longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis due to spinal cord neurosarcoidosis, whereby on a T1 post-contrast (gadolinium) MRI sequence, there is central ca...
Article
Vertebral artery
The vertebral arteries (VA) are paired arteries, each arising from the respective subclavian artery and ascending in the neck to supply the posterior fossa and occipital lobes, as well as provide segmental vertebral and spinal column blood supply.
Summary
origin: branches of the 1st part of th...
Article
Fat suppressed imaging
Fat suppression is commonly used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging to suppress the signal from adipose tissue or detect adipose tissue 1. It can be applied to both T1 and T2 weighted sequences.
Due to short relaxation times, fat has a high signal on MRI. This high, easily recognized ...
Article
Odontoid fracture
Odontoid process fracture, also known as a peg or dens fracture, occurs where there is a fracture through the odontoid process of C2.
Pathology
The mechanism of injury is variable, and can occur both during flexion or extension, and with or without compression 5.
Classification
There are two...
Article
Post-dural puncture headache
Post-dural puncture headache, previously known as post-lumbar puncture headache 4, is a common complication after lumbar puncture (LP), which is often performed for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling, spinal anesthesia, myelography, etc.
Epidemiology
Post-dural puncture headaches occur after ~...
Article
Spinal hydatid disease
Spinal hydatid disease is an uncommon manifestation of hydatid disease, caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, or less commonly E. alveolaris or E. multilocularis, and describes a spectrum of disease involving the spinal cord, the spine, or both.
For a general discussion, and fo...
Article
Spinal cord compression
Spinal cord compression (SCC) is a surgical emergency, usually requiring prompt surgical decompression to prevent permanent neurological impairment. If the spinal roots below the conus medullaris are involved, and there are characteristic symptoms and signs, it is termed cauda equina syndrome.
...
Article
Nerve root enhancement
Nerve root enhancement is a phenomenon described on post-contrast MRI scans that can be observed in a number of situations.
Common causes
post-operative nerve root enhancement 6
arachnoiditis
leptomeningeal metastases
disseminated spinal leptomeningeal metastases
neurolymphomatosis
HIV va...
Article
Dural ectasia
Dural ectasia refers to ballooning or widening of the dural sac which can result in posterior vertebral scalloping and is associated with herniation of nerve root sleeves.
Clinical presentation
Patients with dural ectasia may present with low back pain or radicular pain in the buttocks or legs...
Article
Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is a broad term encompassing inflammation of the meninges and subarachnoid space.
Terminology
Arachnoiditis affecting the cauda equina may be referred to as spinal/lumbar adhesive arachnoiditis.
Clinical presentation
Lumbar spine arachnoiditis can result in leg pain, sensory c...
Article
Spinal metastasis
Spinal metastasis is a vague term that can be variably taken to refer to metastatic disease to any of the following:
vertebral metastases (94%)
may have epidural extension
intradural extramedullary metastases (5%)
intramedullary metastases (1%)
Each of these are discussed separately. Below ...
Article
Benign notochordal cell tumor
Benign notochordal cell tumors are vertebral lesions that are usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on imaging of the head or spine. As this is a poorly-recognized entity, it can often be confused with aggressive vertebral lesions, such as a chordoma, when it is seen on imaging.
Term...
Article
Neurofibromatosis type 2
Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a rare autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder (phakomatosis) manifesting as a development of multiple CNS tumors. Unlike neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), it is not associated with neurofibromas. Instead, patients with this disease have
intracranial schwannom...
Article
Neurosarcoidosis
Central nervous system involvement by sarcoidosis, also termed neurosarcoidosis, is relatively common among patients with systemic sarcoidosis and has a bewildering variety of manifestations, often making diagnosis difficult.
For a general discussion of the underlying condition, please refer t...
Article
Autoimmune glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy
Autoimmune glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy, or simply GFAP astrocytopathy, is a rare inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disorder.
Epidemiology
Given the rarity of the condition, epidemiological data pertaining to autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy are not well establishe...
Article
Spinal meningioma
Meningiomas arising from the coverings of the spinal cord are one of the two most common intradural extramedullary spinal tumors, representing 25-30% of all such tumors 2.
This article specifically relates to spinal meningiomas. For a discussion on intracranial meningiomas and a general discus...
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