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For children younger than eight weeks of age (and possibly in utero), a tethered cord may be observed using ultrasonography. Ultrasonography may still be useful through age 5 in limited circumstances. [15] MRI imaging appears to be the gold standard for diagnosing a tethered cord. [16] [17] A tethered cord is often diagnosed as a "low conus".
In a split cord malformation, some portion of the spinal cord is divided into parallel halves. The thecal sac may be divided and surround each half with a spike of cartilage or bone dividing the halves (Type I), or both halves may be present within the same sac where the dura is bound to a band of fibrous tissue (Type II).
In adults, surgery to free (detether) the spinal cord can reduce the size and further development of cysts in the cord and may restore some function or alleviate other symptoms. Tethered Cord Syndrome is causally linked to Chiari Malformation and any affirmative diagnosis of TCS must be followed by screening for Chiari's several degrees.
The spinal cord lesion or the scarring due to surgery may result in a tethered spinal cord. In some individuals, this causes significant traction and stress on the spinal cord and can lead to a worsening of associated paralysis, scoliosis , back pain, and worsening bowel and/or bladder function.
Nowadays, MRI has all but replaced myelography. [4] MRI is preferable because injection of contrast medium into the spinal canal is infrequently needed for better images. However, a CT myelogram may be useful for patients who cannot undergo MRI (e.g., those with pacemakers or cochlear implants). CT is preferred when MRI images are limited by ...
Lumbosacral adult diastematomyelia is even rarer. Bony malformations and dysplasias are generally recognized on plain x-rays. MRI scanning is often the first choice of screening and diagnosis. MRI generally give adequate analysis of the spinal cord deformities although it has some limitations in giving detailed bone anatomy.
MRI image shows spinal bleeding (myelomalacia). Myelomalacia is a pathological term referring to the softening of the spinal cord. [ 1 ] Possible causes of myelomalacia include cervical myelopathy , hemorrhagic infarction , or acute injury, such as that caused by intervertebral disc extrusion.
Sectional organization of spinal cord. The spinal cord is the main pathway for information connecting the brain and peripheral nervous system. [3] [4] Much shorter than its protecting spinal column, the human spinal cord originates in the brainstem, passes through the foramen magnum, and continues through to the conus medullaris near the second lumbar vertebra before terminating in a fibrous ...