[MR tomography in the control of chemonucleolytic therapy].

MR tomography can be used for the diagnosis of lumbar disc prolapse and provide information concerning the indications and the follow-up of injection treatment with chymopapain. It is able to distinguish various parts of the disc from their varying signal intensity. Examination of 26 patients showed the effect of chymopapain on intradiscal fluid shift based on shifts in signal intensity. The use of T2-weighted gradient echo sequences over a period of seven to ten minutes is sufficient to show significant changes in the disc following chemonucleolysis.