Summary
Computed tomography permits reliable demonstration of the spinal canal and its contents. Measurements of the sagittal diameter of the bony canal do not take into consideration size, shape and state of intraspinal soft tissue structures, i.e. the thecal sac and its own contents, epidural fat and blood circulation pattern. Three particularly illustrative cases were selected in which obvious epidural venous engorgement was visualized in association with spinal stenosis. The authors think that epidural venous stasis occuring in segmental spinal stenosis is a CT sign of clinically significant narrowing of the neural canal. Accurate recognition of the type of lumbar stenosis together with epidural blood flow alterations permits a better understanding of the existing lesions. Thus, a more precise and specific surgical approach is possible.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ammerich H, Quintana F (1980) Phlebographic signs of the narrow lumbar canal. In: Wackenheim A, Babin E (eds) The narrow lumbar canal. Springer, Heidelberg New York, pp 59–64
Breschet G (1828) Recherches anatomiques, physiologiques et pathologiques sur le système veineux et spécialement sur les canaux veineux des os. Villaret, Paris
Capesius P (1980) Myelographic signs of narrow lumbar canal. In: Wackenheim A, Babin E (eds) The narrow lumbar canal. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 21–37
Dorwart RH, Genant HK (1983) Anatomy of the lumbosacral spine. Radiol Clin North Am 21:201–220
Helms CA (1982) CT of the lumbar spine-stenosis and arthrosis. Comput Radiol 6:359–369
Meijenhorst GCH (1982) Computed tomography of the lumbar epidural veins. Radiology 145:687–691
Renard M, Larde D, Masson JP, Roland (1979) Etude anato mique et radio-anatomique des plexus veineux intra-rachidiens lombosacrés. Anat Clin 2:21–28
Théron J, Moret J (1978) Stenosis of the lumbar canal. In: Théron J, Moret J (eds) Spinal phlebography. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 105–115
Verbiest H (1980) Stenosis of the bony lumbar vertebral canal. In: Wackenheim A, Babin E (eds) The narrow lumbar canal. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 115–146
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kaiser, M.C., Capesius, P., Roilgen, A. et al. Epidural venous stasis in spinal stenosis. Neuroradiology 26, 435–438 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00342677
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00342677