Apport de l'IRM dans les compressions médullaires lentes d'origine tumorale et infectieuse

Non-traumatic slow medullary compressions can be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We report a retrospective study of 53 cases and examine the contribution of vertebro-medullary MRI for the positive, topographic and etiologic diagnosis of medullary compressions. MRI, performed at all our patients, revealed an epidural lesion in 72%, an intradural extramedullary lesion in 15% and an intramedullary lesion in 13% of. The dorsal spine localization predominated with 70% of the cases; multiple-level involvement was noted in 40%. A spinal tumor was found in 75% of the cases with a predominance of malignant tumors (66%). Infectious and parasitic pathology represented 34% of the cases. Medullary compression is a frequent condition. Diagnosis is clinical and should be supported by emergency medullary MRI before neurological disorders become irreversible. Etiologies are varied predominately extradural metastatic causes.