Spinal cord tumor imaging with CT and sonography.

The diagnosis, localization, and characterization of spinal cord tumors can be difficult even in this modern era of computed tomography (CT). Although magnetic resonance imaging offers the potential for accurate spinal cord imaging, at present myelography and CT with intravenous or intrathecal contrast material are the mainstays in the diagnosis and localization of spinal cord tumors. The preoperative information from these studies, however, is often incomplete. Intraoperative sonography during neurosurgical procedures is receiving increased attention precisely because of its utility in identifying, localizing , and characterizing lesions. It could be a useful adjunct in spinal cord tumor imaging. The application of neurosonography to intraoperative spinal cord imaging has been limited, in part because of instrumentation [1]. Instrumentation, however, is continually evolving with resultant progressive improvement in sonograms. Newer probe designs are removing barriers to accurate spinal cord imaging; our report describes such a new probe. Intraoperative, transdural sonography of the spinal cord offers another clinically useful application of this diagnostic technique.