Learning objectives
The purpose is to study the current situation of MRI in an emergency department,
its indications,
the basic technical concepts and pearls for the radiological interpretation.
Background
Spinal cord damage suspicion is the most frequent cause to perform MRI in an emergency department.
TSET1,
TSET and STIR in a sagittal plane are the basic sequences to start the spine imaging test.
Spinal cord compression is a surgical emergency and usually requires prompt surgical decompression to prevent permanent neurological impairment.
There are numerous causes of cord compression and they can be divided according to the location of the compressing mass.
Vertebral fracture,
vertebral metastasis,
degenerative changes and spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality...
Findings and procedure details
OUR EXPERIENCE
We reviewed the MRIs performed in an emergency department of a trauma reference Centre from January 2017 to January 2018.
We analyzed the clinical indication,
type of MRI,
radiological diagnosis and the relevance of this result in the therapeutic decision.
101 were reviewed during 2017.
Neurological acute deficit was the most frequent indication and lumbar MRI was the most demanded spine evaluation.
Traumatic spinal cord compression and tumoral or degenerative changes were the main diagnosis.
17 patients required urgent surgery and 3 urgent...
Conclusion
Conclusion
MRI in a radiology emergency department is relatively common examination and radiologist should be aware of it technic,
indications and principal radiographic features of the most common pathologies.
References
1.Miele V,
Piccolo CL,
Galluzzo M,
Ianniello S,
Sessa B,
Trinci M.
EMERGENCY RADIOLOGY SPECIAL FEATURE: REVIEW ARTICLE Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in blunt abdominal trauma.
Br J Radiol [Internet].
2016;89(November 2015).
Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20150823
2.Khurana B.
Traumatic Thoracolumbar Spine Injuries : What the Spine Surgeon Wants to Know 1.
RadioGraphics.
2013.
3.Ross JS.
Diagnostic Imaging: Spine.
2nd ed.
Amirsys; 2010.
4.Shah LM,
Salzman KL.
Imaging of Spinal Metastatic Disease.
Int J Surg Oncol [Internet].2011;2011(Figure 2):1–12.
Available from: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijso/2011/769753/
5.Williams AL,
Murtagh FR,
Rothman SLG,
Sze...