[Computed tomography in the diagnosis of spinal disease (author's transl)].

METHOD: During the period from October 1977 through February 1979, 41 cases of spinal diseases were studied by either EMI Whole Body Scanner, CT 5005 or EMI Head Scanner, CT 1010. Slices were 10 mm or 13 mm thick.

MATERIALS: (1) disc diseases 15 cases (2) ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament 10 (3) congenital anomalies 5 (4) spinal cord tumors 6 (5) trauma 3 (6) narrow cervical spinal canal 3 (7) calcification of ligamentum flavum 1 (8) spinal arteriovenous malformation 1. Results obtained are as follows: 1) A precise determination of vertebral level scanned by C.T. is important. 2) Plain spinal C.T. is of diagnostic value in detecting bony lesions and lipoma. Meningioma showed positive images in the enhanced spinal C.T. 3) The spinal cord cannot be distinguished from the surrounding C.S.F. except for that at C1 level. 4) C.T. metrizamide myelography can appraise adjacent structures that may impinge on the spinal subarachnoid space, as well as structures contained in the space.