Data Indicates Benefits of Diffusion Tenor Imaging for Spine
According to an article recently posted by Diagnostic Magazine, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may be a beneficial diagnostic modality in the emergency room to assess patients with cervical spine injuries. The University of Maryland team completed the work based on positive preliminary findings from animal studies.
The group evaluated images of DTI studies from a cohort of 50 patients who presented with blunt neck trauma. Patients underwent DTI after an emergent CT could not provide information to explain neck pain, tenderness, or a neurological deficit of the cervical spine. DTI was also completed in patients diagnosed with a cervical spine fracture on CT who underwent MRI.
Data of interest included fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). The findings from the patients with trauma were compared to studies completed in a group of 11 healthy volunteers.
All of the patients with trauma to the cervical spine had mean FA scores decreased in both the lower and middle cervical cord compared to the healthy patients.
Patients with signal abnormalities from cord contusion had significantly lower ADC values than the healthy patients scanned. ADC was also dramatically lower in patients with no MRI cord signal abnormality but a positive CT for acute cervical trauma in the middle and upper cervical cord sections. The decrease in ADC was nearing significance for the lower cervical spinal cord.
Data presented suggests that both FA and ADC are meaningful markers of the presence and severity of injury to the spinal cord. Additional investigation into the utility of DTI for cervical trauma may provide further guidelines to assess patients who do not show cord contusion on MRI but have clinical symptoms of disease.
May 13, 2008 Related topics: Diagnostic, Radiology, Emergency