Yonsei Med J.  2010 May;51(3):414-420. 10.3349/ymj.2010.51.3.414.

Types and Prevalence of Coexisting Spine Lesions on Whole Spine Sagittal MR Images in Surgical Degenerative Spinal Diseases

• Han IH
• Suh SH
• Kuh SU
• Chin DK
• Kim KS

• KMID: 1074994
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2010.51.3.414

Abstract

PURPOSE
We investigated types and prevalence of coexisting lesions found on whole spine sagittal T2-weighted images (WSST2I) acquired from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluated their clinical significance in surgical degenerative spinal diseases.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Coexisting spinal lesions were investigated using WSST2I from 306 consecutive patients with surgical degenerative spinal diseases. Severity of coexisting lesions was classified into four grades (0-3). Lesions of grade 2 and 3 were defined as "meaningful coexisting spine lesions" (MCSL). Degenerative spinal diseases were classified into three pathologies: simple disc herniation, degenerative spinal stenosis, and ligament ossification disease. The relationships between MCSL, gender, age, and primary spine lesions were analyzed.
RESULTS
MCSL were found in 95 patients: a prevalence of 31.1%. Five out of 95 MCSL were surgically managed. The most common types of MCSL were disc herniation with 13.1% prevalence, followed by degenerative stenosis (9.5%) and ligament ossification diseases (6.8%). Older patients (age > or = 40) showed a significantly higher prevalence of MCSL than younger patients. There was no significant difference between male and female patients. The prevalence of MCSL was significantly higher (52.4%) in ligament ossification diseases than in disc herniation or spinal stenosis.
CONCLUSION
Degenerative spinal diseases showed a high prevalence of MCSL, especially in old ages and ligament ossification diseases. WSST2I is useful for diagnosing coexisting spinal diseases and to avoid missing a significant cord-compressing lesion.

Keyword

Spine; magnetic resonance imaging; whole body imaging

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Humans
Intervertebral Disk Displacement/diagnosis
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Spinal Diseases/classification/*diagnosis
Spinal Stenosis/diagnosis
Young Adult