American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol 162, 679-684, Copyright © 1994 by American Roentgen Ray Society
Extraspinal abnormalities detected on MR images of the spine
EM Olson, WH Wong and JR Hesselink
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego Medical Center 92103-8756.
Surface-coil MR imaging of the spine is one of the most commonly performed
MR imaging procedures. As the spine is the region of interest in these
studies, extraspinal abnormalities may be overlooked. Such lesions can be
difficult to perceive because they are out of the area of interest or
distant from the surface coil. MR studies may be interpreted without other
radiographic studies for comparison, as the other studies often have been
performed elsewhere. Consequently, it is important for radiologists to be
aware of the extraspinal anatomy and the appearances of extraspinal
abnormalities. We describe the appearances of some common extraspinal
diseases and normal variants detected with surface-coil MR imaging of the
spine.