MR imaging of the spine

Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging has been shown to be highly accurate in the postoperative lumbar spine. This paper attempts to determine the exact diagnostic contribution of the post-Gd-DTPA sequence and to correlate it with clinical and surgical findings. Thirty patients with FBSS were evaluated. Precontrast T1- and T2-weighted images were assessed for the presence of abnormal epidural tissue, surgical levels, epidural location, size, shape, signal intensity, tissue displacement, and disc contiguity. The post-Gd-DTPA images were also evaluated for the presence and characteristics of tissue enhancement. The imaging findings were correlated with clinical data and with data from seven surgical reexplorations