MRI features and the diagnosis criteria of post-traumatic syringomyelia

Objective To elucidate the MRI features of post-traumatic syringomyelia, its formation mechanism and the diagnosis criteria. Methods Ten patients with the average age of 41 years suffered from syringomyelia after 2-11 years' injury. Each case had detailed clinical and imaging data. Frankel's grades were used to evaluate clinical features. Spinal cord and syringomyelia was observed by MRI. Results Two of 10 patients had spinal cord cavities extending to cervical cord, 4 to cervicothoracic junction, 2 to brain stem and 2 to medullary cone . The cavities, began from the oppressed place of the spinal cord, had the length from 2 to 13 vertebra segments and were all at the centre of the cord.. Six patients were diagnosed by MRI T1-weighted images, which showed cavities with bead-shaped fringes and flow-void signs inside. These patients were also diagnosed by MRI T2-weighted images, which displayed either enlargement or atrophy in cord where cavities occurred, with uniformed or ununiformed signals of increased intensity and patch of high signals in cord around the cavities. Conclusions MRI can demonstrate the characteristics and possible formation mechanism of post-traumatic syringomyelia. The characteristics of imaging could be regarded as a part of the diagnosis criteria . The formation of post-traumatic syringomyelia is associated with the continuous compression of the spinal cord to some extent, but not with the clinical symptoms.