DIAGNOSTIC-VALUE OF SPINAL US - COMPARATIVE-STUDY WITH MR-IMAGING IN PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS

PURPOSE: To assess the diagnostic value of spinal ultrasonography (US) in pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The findings on 38 spin al US scans in 30 patients (mean age, 5.5 months) were compared with t hose of corresponding magnetic resonance (MR) images. RESULTS: MR imag ing showed a normal spinal canal in 14 of 38 examinations, a congenita l anomaly in 22, and a neoplasm in two. In 32 of 38 examinations, US a llowed exactly the same diagnosis as MR imaging. In five examinations, US depicted the main abnormality, but MR imaging revealed additional findings. In one examination, no consensus was achieved. Whenever US s cans were normal, MR images also did not depict any spinal disorder. I n all 24 examinations with abnormal MR findings, US enabled detection of the abnormality. CONCLUSION: Spinal US seems to represent a valuabl e diagnostic tool for congenital anomalies of the lower spine in infan ts and is recommended as the primary imaging modality in those patient s.