MY CONTENT

Retrospective analysis of 575 CT fluoroscopy-guided epidural injections was done to detect inadvertent arterial or venous injections. Intravascular injections occurred in 26% of cervical transforaminal injections, 9% of cervical interlaminar injections, 8% of lumbar transforaminal injections, and 2% of lumbar interlaminar injections. These findings are similar to previous reports using conventional fluoroscopy and demonstrate that intravascular injections may be detected with CT fluoroscopy.

Fifty-four patients underwent classification of lumbar disk herniations during preoperative MRI and surgery using the new multisociety classification. Disagreement as to classification based on MRI studies occurred in only 1 instance and agreement of preoperative classification with operative findings was 70%. The authors believe that though this level of agreement is reasonable, differences exist between what neuroradiologists see on imaging and what surgeons encounter.

This meta-analysis of the literature reveals that imaging findings of spine degeneration are present in high proportions of asymptomatic individuals, increasing with age. Many imaging-based degenerative features are likely part of normal aging and unassociated with pain.

Eighty lumbar and 9 cervical spine herniations were treated with percutaneous intradiskal injection of gelified ethanol under fluoroscopy with 36 injections made simultaneously for 2 disk herniations. Post treatment symptom improvement was reported by 85% of patients with lumbarand 83% of those with cervical disk herniations.