Tuberculous radiculomyelitis : a myelographic and cmputed tomographic study.

Tuberculous spinal arachnoditis is one of the commonest causes of paraplegia in India. Clinical and laboratory diagnosis is difficult and radiological evaluation often remains an important component of diagnosis and management The role of water soluble contrast medium myelography and CT features have been described. The most common features observed on myelography include long lengths of irregular contrast medium, nodular filling defects, thickened nerve roots and empty thecal sac. The CT features include irregular subarachnoid contrast medium, extradural and intradural filling defects with the spinal cord of variable dimension. Adherence of the nerve roots to one another and to the meninges was not an uncommon finding. Given the clinical setting,myelographic and CT myelographic features are reasonably characteristic to suggest a diagnosis of tuberculous spinal arachnoiditis.