RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 MR imaging of acute spinal cord trauma. JF American Journal of Neuroradiology JO Am. J. Neuroradiol. FD American Society of Neuroradiology SP 5 OP 10 VO 8 IS 1 A1 D W Chakeres A1 F Flickinger A1 J C Bresnahan A1 M S Beattie A1 K L Weiss A1 C Miller A1 B T Stokes YR 1987 UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/8/1/5.abstract AB The thoracic spinal cords of five mongrel dogs were imaged with a 1.5 T MR scanner before and after trauma induced by a well-established method of spinal cord impaction that produces central cord hemorrhagic necrosis. The anesthetized dogs were studied acutely with a 5-in. circular surface coil, 12-cm field of view, sagittal and axial partial-saturation (TR = 600, TE = 25 msec) and spin-echo (TR = 2000, TE = 25-100 msec) techniques. One normal dog was used as a control. The cords were surgically removed and histologically examined. Direct correlation of the pathologic findings and imaging data showed that at the level of trauma there was obliteration of epidural fat and CSF spaces secondary to central cord hemorrhage and edema. The traumatized cords expanded to fill the bony canal, and there was loss of visualization of the internal anatomy of the cord (gray- and white-matter structures). We conclude that MR can accurately identify cord hemorrhage and edema within a few hours of spinal trauma.