Diagnosis of an inflammation in the spinal cord
Although acute inflammation of the spinal cord usually causes severe symptoms, a purely clinical diagnosis by means of patient interview and physical examination is difficult. This is because a number of neurological diseases of the central nervous system cause very similar symptoms. To get an overview of the disease and to be able to exclude certain diagnoses, such as a tumor of the spinal cord that causes similar symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is usually performed.
The MRI is an important diagnostic tool for spinal cord inflammation. It is an imaging procedure that, unlike X-ray and computed tomography, does not involve any radiation exposure. It can very well depict so-called “soft tissue”, i.e. organ structures, fats, spinal cord and inflammatory processes, but less so bone structures.
To achieve a better contrast of the image, contrast media can be used, which can either be injected, drunk or administered rectally via an enema. The reason for the respective symptoms can now be found in the resulting images. Inflammation of the spinal cord, like other diseases of the spinal cord, has characteristic abnormalities which can be documented by a radiologist in the MRI images if necessary.
If the physician already has a specific suspected diagnosis, the MRI can be performed directly in a special form. If the suspected diagnosis is multiple sclerosis, a special MRI is performed in cases of multiple sclerosis. However, the individual cause for the occurrence of the inflammation cannot be determined by imaging techniques.
Certain laboratory values usually provide information about the reasons for the inflammation. For example, with the help of a so-called lumbar puncture, a fluid (liquor) can be taken from the spinal cord and then examined. Certain changes in the cerebrospinal fluid make it possible to determine whether an infection is present and whether it is of viral or bacterial origin.
Blood values can also be helpful in the individual diagnosis, as they can exclude certain previous illnesses if necessary and can be examined specifically for certain autoimmune diseases. In many cases, however, it is not possible for the treating physicians to find the cause of the existing inflammation. In these cases, a so-called idiopathic (occurred without apparent cause) spinal cord inflammation is assumed. and MRI of the spine
