Utility of Flexion and Extension MRI for Evaluating Isolated Cervical Spinal Cord Lesions: A Case Series

Cureus. 2023 Oct 12;15(10):e46932. doi: 10.7759/cureus.46932. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Abstract

The diagnosis of isolated spinal cord lesions is often challenging in clinical practice, and it is not uncommon for the etiology of such isolated lesions to remain unclear despite extensive workup and investigations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is extensively utilized for assessing spinal cord disease, despite certain radiological patterns suggesting certain pathologies, diagnostic uncertainty remains. Development of adjunct tests and techniques, radiographic or otherwise, is needed. Here, we present two cases in which flexion-extension cervical spine MRIs improved diagnostic ability by demonstrating dynamic cervical cord compression as an etiology for isolated intramedullary cervical spinal cord lesions.

Keywords: compressive myelopathy; degenerative myelopathy; degenerative spine disease; flexion and extension mri; intramedullary lesion; intrinsic cord lesion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports