Comparative study of MR myelography and conventional myelography in the diagnosis of lumbar spinal diseases

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of magnetic res onance (MR) myelography by comparing it with conventional myelography. MR m yelography was performed on 40 patients (24 men and 16 women; mean age, 44 years) with lumbar spinal diseases. MR myelography was imaged three-dimensi onally by fast spin-echo technique with fat suppression and maximum intensi ty projection. We assessed both the ability to provide the images of nerve root sheaths and the similarity of the findings to conventional myelography . Satisfactory images of nerve root sheaths in the lumbar region were provi ded almost equally by MR and conventional myelography. The images obtained by MR myelography were similar in quality to those obtained by conventional myelography. When combined with some other conventional MR imaging techniq ues, this diagnostic technique of imaging lumbar spinal diseases is further enhanced.