J Korean Radiol Soc.  1988 Oct;24(5):721-730. 10.3348/jkrs.1988.24.5.721.

Myelographic differential diagnosis of spinal arachnoiditis with an emphasis on Tbc arachnoiditis

• Choi YW
• Yun KS
• Han MH
• Chang KH

• KMID: 2359203
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1988.24.5.721

Abstract

Spinal arachnoiditis is a rare condition. The arachonoiditis of various causes, leptomeningeal meastasis, leptomeningeal lymphoma, hypertropic polyneuritis, etc. are known to have a similar radiologic manifestations. The authors reviewed myelographic findings of 20 patients with spinal arachomiditis retrospectively to discovery anyspecific findings helpful to make a differential diagnosis, The causes of spinal arachnoiditis were tuberculous origin in 9 cases, pyogenic in 2, postoperative in one, lymphoma in 3 and leptomeningeal metastatisis in 5. Myelographic findings of tumberculous spinal arachnoiditis were block of CSF(89%), especially at the conusmedullaris level, multiple find and/or coarse nodular filling defects (78%), nerve root thickening (56%), focalirregular adhesive filling defects (44%) and irregular or indistinct thecal sac margin(44%). Irregular adhesiveb and-like filling defects and/or multiple fine nodular filling defects seem to be characteristics of the arachnoiditis. Myelographic findings showing coarse nodular filling defects without fine ones are suggestive of leptomeningeal metastasis.

MeSH Terms

Adhesives
Arachnoid*
Arachnoiditis*
Diagnosis, Differential*
Humans
Lymphoma
Neoplasm Metastasis
Neuritis
Retrospective Studies
Adhesives