CERVICAL DISK PROLAPSE

Objective: To correlate the findings on computed tomographic myelograp hy (CTM) with surgically and pathologically proven prolapsed cervical disks, mention other pertinent cross-sectional imaging studies, and no te the clinical relevance of certain CTM features. Design: We retrospe ctively reviewed the medical and radiologic records of Mayo patients w ith suspected degenerative cervical disk disease during a 4-year perio d. Material and Methods: Between January 1986 and December 1989, 734 p atients with possible cervical disk disease underwent assessment by CT M, An extruded disk was noted in 297 of these patients, In this study group, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was also done in 28 patients an d plain computed tomography was performed in 14, and me summarized tho se findings. Results: Of the 297 study patients, 280 had a cervical ra diculopathy and 17 had a myelopathy, CTM identified more than 90% of t he extruded cervical disks, CTM could not distinguish between an osteo phytic cartilaginous cap and a disk, and CTM could not identify the so urce of a cervical radiculopathy in 102 patients, Although only a few imaging studies other than CTM were performed, those modalities were l ess sensitive in the detection of prolapsed disks. Conclusion: Imaging of cervical disk prolapse continues to be difficult, and the results are not always specific, CTM is the most sensitive imaging examination , but the number of MR studies in the current series of patients was i nsufficient for a reasonable comparison between the two modalities.