CT imaging of the thoracic spinal cord without intrathecal contrast medium.

Demonstration of the thoracic spinal cord by computed tomography (CT) without intrathecal contrast medium has not been reported frequently. We studied the factors that affect the demonstration of the thoracic spinal cord by CT. Slice thickness, artifacts, the size of the subarachnoid space, and dose were the most important factors. With optimal factors, CT demonstrates the thoracic cord effectively without intrathecal contrast enhancement.