Myelopathy and radiculopathy due to cervical spondylosis: myelographic-CT correlations.

ABSTRACT

Forty patients with symptoms and signs of radicular disease or spinal cord involvement secondary to cervical spondylosis were studied with myelography (using nonionic water-soluble contrast medium) followed by computed tomographic (CT) myelography. In 17 patients CT was also performed before myelography. CT myelography adds useful information to the myelographic findings. Cord compression is better evaluated and osteophytes can be differentiated from disk herniation. Plain CT can demonstrate a herniated disk but with less accuracy than CT myelography. Cord and root compression are not seen directly on plain CT; for this reason myelography should be the first procedure in patients with myelopathy or myeloradiculopathy, which may be followed by CT myelography.