Low-Field MR Imaging (0.1 T) in Patients with Clinically Suspected Acute Spinal Block

Abstract

The diagnostic usefulness of a 0.1 T MR unit in patients with clinical suspicion of acute spinal block was studied in 59 patients who were referred to acute MR investigation. The records were reviewed retrospectively 1 month after the MR for assessing the clinical impact of the examination. Ninety-eight per cent had a true-positive examination confirmed by surgery (21%) or observation (77%). In 60% of the patients the MR imaging had a therapeutic consequence. In only one patient did the level of visualised pathology at the MR examination not correlate with the clinical findings; the patient subsequently refused surgical treatment. We conclude that a low-field MR unit is excellent for acute examination of patients clinically suspected of acute spinal block.

Low-Field MR Imaging of the Spine

“…Therefore it was only performed by well trained technicians during normal working hours. Outside normal working hours the PS sequence has been sufficient for diagnosis of spinal block (3). The absence of CSF flow artefacts confirms that the CBASS sequence, unlike other steady-state sequences, is insensitive to flow.…”