Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine in 27 dogs

The cervical spine of 27 dogs with cervical pain or cervical myelopathy was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Spin echo T1, T2, and po st-contrast T1 weighted imaging sequences were obtained with a 0.5 Tesla ma gnet in 5 dogs and a 1.5 Tesla magnet in the remaining 22 dogs. MRI provide d for visualization of the entire cervical spine including the vertebral bo dies, intervertebral discs, vertebral canal, and spinal cord. Disorders not ed included intervertebral disc degeneration and/or protrusion (12 dogs), i ntradural extramedullary mass lesions (3 dogs); intradural and extradural n erve root tumors (3 dogs), hydromyelia/syringomyelia (1 dog), intramedullar y ring enhancing lesions (1 dog), extradural synovial cysts (1 dog), and ex tradural compressive lesions (3 dogs). The MRI findings were consistent wit h surgical findings in 18 dogs that underwent surgery, Magnetic resonance i maging provided a safe, useful non-invasive method of evaluating the cervic al spinal cord.