Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Postoperative susceptibility artifact during magnetic resonance imaging of the vertebral column in two dogs and a cat.
- Journal:
- Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Freer, Sean R & Scrivani, Peter V
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
Plain-English summary
In this study, two dogs and one cat who had surgery on their spine were found to have unusual marks on their MRI scans. These marks, called magnetic susceptibility artifacts, made it hard for the veterinarians to interpret the images correctly, leading to confusion about whether there was a real problem with the spinal cord. Because of this, the dogs had to undergo a different type of scan called a CT, but no clear cause for the artifacts was found. The likely reason for these marks is tiny bits of metal from the surgical tools used during the operation, although other factors like bleeding or certain types of stitches could also be involved. Overall, this suggests that MRIs might not be the best choice for checking on pets after certain surgeries due to the risk of these misleading artifacts.
Abstract
In humans that have undergone cervical diskectomy, magnetic susceptibility artifacts are often found on postoperative magnetic resonance (MR) images of the affected region. In some patients, these artifacts complicate image interpretation, while in others the artifacts lead to a false diagnosis of spinal cord compression. We describe two dogs and one cat that had susceptibility artifacts visible in postoperative MR images. In each patient, multiple, small-to-large, distinct, magnetic susceptibility artifacts were visible along the surgery site. In both dogs, interpretation was impossible and subsequently computed tomography (CT) was performed. During CT, no cause for the MR artifact was identified. The most likely source of the artifact is microscopic metal fragments from the burr, suction tip or other surgical instruments, but other possible causes include hemorrhage or paramagnetic suture material. These artifacts may cause difficulty in interpretation or suggest a clinical problem. MR imaging therefore might not be the most appropriate examination for patients following certain types of surgery due to the possibility of susceptibility artifacts. Although this artifact probably is common in the postoperative patient, the frequency that this finding will prevent accurate diagnosis is unknown.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18251291/