A Comparative Study of Diagnostic Value of MRI with Simple X-ray Figure, Myelogram and Discogram in Lumbar Disc Lesions

Diagnostic value of MRI for the lumbar intervertebral disc lesions was compared with that of simple X-ray figure, myelogram, and discogram, which led to the following conclusions. 1. MRI was superior to other examinations in disclosing incipient disc degeneration as the lower signal intensity, flatterning or segmentation of the disc, in which simple X-ray figure did not reveal any abnormal sign such as narrowing or instability of the disc. 2. Positive degenerative sign of a single disc detected with MRI, if its level corresponded to the positive neurological signs could establish diagnosis and unnecessitated other invasive examinations. 3. Findings of non-invasive MRI, was nearly parallel to that of invasive discogram except in very severe disc degeneration. MRI was inferior to myelogram in that it could not show compression on earch nerve root. MRI was disadvantageous in that it could not identify the affected disc which was responsible for clinical manifestation in cases with muliple disc degenerations