Myelographic abnormalities of spinal cord and nerve roots lesions in conventional myelography.

The authors review the myelographic abnormalities of spinal lesions on 90 patients evaluated with conventional or fluoroscopy myelography between 1989 and 1995. The value of Conventional myelography in spinal lesions involving the spinal cord and nerve roots are assessed. The subjects include 49 (45.4%) males and 41 (45.6%) females with a mean age of 38.3 years. Majority of the cases 74(82.2%) had specific neurological symptoms while 16 (17.8%) presented with non-specific neurological symptoms. On the whole 78 (86.7%) cases were successfully analysed, in which 58 (74%) cases had abnormal myelograms and 20 (25.5%) had normal myelograms. Extradural lesions was seen in 47 (81%) cases, while 6 (10.3%) cases and 2 (3.5%) cases showed Intramedullary and Intradural-extramedullary lesions respectively. 3 (5.2%) cases showed combined lesions. The most common anatomical site or location of abnormal myelograms was the Thoracic region with 31 (53.4%) cases, 16 (27.6%) cases in the lumbar, 10 (17.2%)and 1 (1.8%) cases in the cervical and sacral regions respectively. Conventional myelography can be successfully used to demonstrate myelographic abnormalities, including identification and determination of the extent of the anatomical location of spinal lesions.