J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  1999 Jan;28(1):13-20.

The Evaluation of Prognosis in Syringomyelia Using SPAMM(Spatial Moduation of Magnetiztion) - MRI

• Kim YS
• Kim KN
• Jin BH
• Yoon DH
• Cho YE
• Chin DK
• Kim HS

Abstract

The clinical significance of cystic fluid motion in syringomyelia is uncertain. Because of its sensitivity to fluid motion, MR imaging was used to investigate fluid dynamics in syringomyelia by various tecniques. SPAMM (Spatial Modulation of Magnetization) MRI is one of these techniques which shows the fluid motion of syrinx in syringomyelia. After taking preimaging pulse sequence, the MR images show periodic bands due to the magnetic modulation. Motion between the time of banding and image formation is directly demonstrated as a corresponding displacement of the bands. The authors evaluated 7 patients of syringomyelia due to various causes with SPAMM MRI technique and compared preoperative SPAMM MRI findings and clinical results, postoperative size of syrinx. Among 4 patients of syringomyelia with Arnold-Chiari malformation, 3 patients showed band shift representing fluid motion of syrinx on SPAMM MRI. Clinical results of these patients were good and the size of postoperative syrinx decreased. Three patients of posttraumatic or postmeningitic syringomyelia who did not show band shift on SPAMM MRI had poor clinical courses and the sizes of postoperative syrinx remained unchanged. These results indicate that SPAMM MRI may be useful in dete rmining the type of treatment and predicting clinical results in syringomyelia.

Keyword

Syringomyelia; Spatial modulation of magnetization; MRI; Fluid motion; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

Arnold-Chiari Malformation
Humans
Hydrodynamics
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Prognosis*
Syringomyelia*