If you are taking blood thinners, you should speak with your physician about alternative methods of maintaining anticoagulation while you are undergoing a myelogram.Īlthough reactions to the iodinated contrast material used in the myelogram are extremely uncommon, you should inform your physician if you have previously had an allergic reaction to contrast material or other medication. The most important type of medication that must be stopped is blood thinners (anticoagulants). These include certain antipsychotic medications, antidepressants, blood thinners, and some other drugs. Some drugs should be stopped one or two days before myelography. Specifically, the physician needs to know if (1) you are taking medications that need to be stopped a few days before the procedure and (2) whether you have a history of reaction to the contrast material used for the myelogram. Tell your doctor about recent illnesses or other medical conditions. List any allergies, especially to iodine contrast materials. Tell your doctor about all the medications you take. Your physician will give you detailed instructions on how to prepare for your myelogram. In these cases your doctor may decide to order CT myelography. In patients with spinal instrumentation (screws, plates, rods, etc.), MR imaging may not be optimal because of artifacts generated by these instruments. Myelography can help with surgical planning decisions. spinal lesions caused by disease or trauma.inflammation of the arachnoid membrane that covers the spinal cord.infection involving the bony spine, intervertebral discs, meninges and surrounding soft tissues.tumors involving the bony spine, meninges, nerve roots or spinal cord.Myelography can also be used to assess the following conditions when MR imaging cannot be performed, or in addition to MRI (when MR does not provide sufficient information): In this condition, the spinal canal narrows as the surrounding tissues enlarge due to the development of bony spurs (osteophytes) and thickening of the adjacent ligaments. to depict a condition that often accompanies degeneration of the bones and soft tissues surrounding the spinal canal, termed spinal stenosis.to show whether a herniation of the intervertebral disk between the successive vertebral bodies is compressing the nerve roots or the spinal cord.Myelography is most commonly used to detect abnormalities affecting the spinal cord, the spinal canal, the spinal nerve roots and the blood vessels that supply the spinal cord, including: In such cases, myelography and/or a CT scan, in lieu of MRI, is performed to better define abnormalities. However, on occasion, a patient has a medical device, such as a cardiac pacemaker, that may prevent him or her from undergoing MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often the first imaging exam done to evaluate the spinal cord and nerve roots. What are some common uses of the procedure? In many of these cases, the myelogram may be followed by a computed tomography (CT) scan to better define the anatomy and any abnormalities. The radiologist views the passage of contrast material in real-time within the subarachnoid space as it is flowing using fluoroscopy but also takes permanent images, called x-rays or radiographs, of the contrast material around the spinal cord and nerve roots in order to document abnormalities involving or affecting these structures. Myelography provides a very detailed picture ( myelogram) of the spinal cord, nerve roots, subarachnoid space and spinal column. The meninges are the membranes which surround and cover the spinal cord and nerve roots. When the contrast material is injected into the subarachnoid space, the radiologist is able to view and evaluate the status of the spinal cord, the nerve roots and the meninges. X-rays are the oldest and most often used form of medical imaging. It exposes you to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Myelography is an imaging examination that involves the introduction of a spinal needle into the spinal canal and the injection of contrast material in the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots (the subarachnoid space) using a real-time form of x-ray called fluoroscopy.Īn x-ray exam helps doctors diagnose and treat medical conditions.
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