Clinical question: Evaluate for infection and hematoma. Signs and symptoms: Weakness. Enhanced thoracic MRI:Examination is performed without the benefit of intravenous contrast due to patient's severe pain and claustrophobia.There are diffuse patchy foci of T2/T2 stir hyperintensity throughout the thoracic cord highly suggestive of demyelinating disease. There is normal anatomical alignment the vertebral column.There is unremarkable signal intensity of vertebral column.C7 -- T1 is unremarkable.T1 -- T2 is unremarkable.T3 -- T4 demonstrate minimal degenerative changes with resultant mild right neural foraminal compromise.T4 -- T5 demonstrate mild degenerative disk disease and a tiny right paramedian disk protrusion resulting in subtle indentation of the ventral aspect of the cord without cord signal abnormality. No spinal stenosis or neural foraminal compromise.T5 -- T6 is unremarkable.T6 -- T7 is unremarkable.T7 -- T8 demonstrate a tiny linear focus of T2 hyperintensity in the annulus of the disk on the right highly suspected of an annular fissure. The finding is best appreciated on sagittal T2 and T2 stir image 8. No spinal stenosis or neural foraminal compromise.T8 -- T9 also demonstrate a tiny T2 hyperintensity in the annulus of the disk on the right suggestive of a smaller annular fissure. Unremarkable exam otherwise.T9 -- T10 is unremarkable.T10 -- T11 is unremarkable.T11 -- T12 and T 12 -- L1 levels are unremarkable.There is no detectable paraspinal soft tissue abnormalities.Although examination is performed without the benefit of intravenous contrast there is a normal finding on this exam to suggest presence of an infectious or inflammatory process.
1.Examination is performed without the benefit of intravenous contrast due to patient's severe pain and claustrophobia.2.Diffuse patchy foci of T2/T2stir hyperintensity throughout the cord consistent with demyelinating disease.3.Within the limitation of a nonenhanced study there is no finding to suggest presence of an infectious or inflammatory process.4.Tiny right lateral disk protrusion at T4 -- T5 results in subtle flattening deformity of the cord however without central spinal stenosis or cord signal abnormality.5.Tiny annular fissure on the right at T7 -- T8 and T8 -- T9 levels as detailed.6.No evidence of spinal stenosis or neural foraminal compromise at any level.