Magnetic resonance imaging in acute spinal cord trauma.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven to be an invaluable tool for evaluating neoplastic, congenital, and degenerative conditions of the spine and spinal cord. Because of various technical limitations, however, the use of MRI in acutely spinal cord-injured patients has not been fully explored. Sixty-two spinal cord-injured patients underwent MRI within the first 36 hours of injury. A variety of pathological findings were detected on the MRI scans: anatomical cord transection (7 cases), spinal cord deformity secondary to extrinsic compression (28), focal cord enlargement/swelling (21), hyperintense intramedullary lesions (17), and disc herniations (2). MRI may be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of acute spinal cord injury.