[Comparison of the diagnostic value of CT and MRI in injuries of the cervical vertebrae].

The aim of our study was to compare the diagnostic capacities of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnostic evaluation of acute cervical spinal column injuries. We examined 39 patients with cervical spine injury suspected either clinically or by plain radiography, or even confirmed. In 30 patients, 86 acute traumatic lesions were observed in the area of the cervical spine, 83% of which were retrospectively recognisable by CT and 95% on MRI films. In nine patients, no acute traumatic pathologic pattern could be found either by CT or by MRI or any other subsequently employed diagnostic methods. CT yielded 100% of the osseous acute traumatic findings, the degenerative lesions narrowing the spinal channel, and of the dislocations, but only 33% of the lesions of the longitudinal ligaments, 50% of intramedullary haemorrhages, 60% of paravertebral soft tissue haematomas, 83% of vertebral disc herniations of protrusions, and none of the six nonhaemorrhagic spinal cord contusions. Without exception, MRI revealed all the traumatic medullary and paravertebral soft tissue changes, dislocations, and spondylophytes narrowing the spinal channel, but only 50% of the C2-odonteous fractures, 89% of the transverse processes', and 92% of the vertebral lamina fractures. Basing on these results, after primary plain film radiograph imaging, the performance of MRI seems to be recommendable prior to CT in diagnostic evaluation of traumatic cervical spinal lesions, if possible with regard to the patient's clinical state and the global organization, unless immediate CT imaging of other body regions (i.e. of the head) is already being planned anyway, Nevertheless, MRI should not be abandoned within the overally framework of this disease pattern.