[Radiological diagnosis of the narrow lumbar spinal canal syndrome (author's transl)].

31 myelograms of patients with the syndrome of lumbar spinal canal constriction were analysed. Two forms can be distinguished - a primary form with hypoplasia of the lumbar section of the spinal canal, and a secondary form with circumscribed constriction through olisthy or spondylosis deformans. The characteristics symptoms of the primary form (n = 21) are: difficult lumbar puncture, the ascent of the contrast medium in the thoracic section of the vertebral canal, multiple protrusions of the intervertebral discs, reduced sagittal diameter of the dural area which is marked by additional signs of spondylosis. In this connection, the alterations were so characteristic that it was possible to diagnose the condition even before the operation. The myelogram with water-soluble contrast-medium is considered to be markedly superior to other methods of radiological examination.