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Myelography
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Myelography, also called a myelogram, is an imaging study that looks for problems in the spinal canal: the tunnel in the spine that carries the spinal cord, the nerve roots, which are the nerves as they leave the cord, and the subarachnoid space, the fluid-filled space around it.
To do it, contrast is injected into that canal. Contrast is a substance that makes certain organs and tissues show up more clearly. The images are taken with fluoroscopy, which is X-ray in video form, or with CT. That clear view makes it possible to see whether something is compressing the nerves. It is like dropping ink into water so the shape of the container shows.
Done with CT, it is especially useful for someone who has surgical hardware in the spine or who cannot have an MRI.
In brief
Myelography, or a myelogram, is an imaging study of the spinal canal, which holds the spinal cord, the nerve roots, and the subarachnoid space.
Contrast, which makes tissues show up more clearly, is injected, and the images are taken with fluoroscopy or CT; this can show whether something is compressing the nerves.
It is like dropping ink into water so the shape of the container shows.
Done with CT, it is especially useful in people who have surgical hardware in the spine or who cannot have an MRI.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineMyelography, MedlinePlus Medical TestsPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingLumbar Spine Imaging, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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