A study of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of low backache at Teritary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Low backache, or pain that occurs in the lumbar and sacral area, is one of the most common presenting features in patients presenting to the outpatient department. Objectives: to evaluate and narrow down the differential diagnosis of various spinal causes of low backache. Method: Two hundred (200) patients who presented with low backache with or without radiculopathy to orthopedic, neurology and neurosurgery departments were evaluated with MRI in the present study. Results: majority of patients with spinal complaints found to have degenerative disease of spine, followed by spinal trauma, spinal neoplasm, infective spondylodiscitis, and spinal congenital anomalies. Transitional vertebrae are the most common congenital anomalies in patients presenting with low backache. Majority of spinal neoplastic lesions are extradural in location, followed by intradural extramedullary and intramedullary. Conclusion: A wide spectrum of various spinal lesions were found to be present in patients presenting with low backache, majority being degeneration disease of spine.MR imaging with its superb contrast sensitivity helped in getting clearer and more detailed images of spine by multiplanar and multiecho technique, aided in early diagnosis and evaluation of various lumbosacral spinal lesions.