Perimedullary cerebrospinal fluid effacement

Principle and interpretation

It may accompany canal narrowing or mass effect. It should be distinguished from cord deformation and from signal change within the cord itself.

Indications, limitations and precautions

Severity depends on the full examination and neurological findings. Loss of the fluid rim does not directly measure symptoms; myelopathy signs or rapid deterioration require specialist assessment.

Points to consider

An imaging sign describes an appearance that may have several explanations. Distribution, extent, other sequences and previous studies contribute to interpretation. The radiologist’s conclusion should be correlated with symptoms and examination before treatment is selected.

Role of TAGMED care

At TAGMED, assessment aims to understand symptoms, history and functional limitations. Manual care and osteopathy, motorized spinal decompression, laser and shockwave have different indications. The term described in this entry is not enough to select any of these modalities. Their relevance, limitations and possible contraindications should be discussed in relation to diagnosis and individual goals.

Related concepts and distinctions

These concepts belong to the same field, but are not synonyms.

• Disc–nerve root conflict — Unfavorable relationship between a disc and nerve root, described on imaging as contact, displacement or compression depending on degree.
• Intervertebral vacuum phenomenon — Gas within an intervertebral disc, generally seen with degeneration and particularly visible on CT.
• Osteolysis — Localized reduction or destruction of bone, seen as tissue loss or reduced density depending on the imaging technique.

Medical references

1. American College of Radiology / RSNA, RadiologyInfo. Spine MRI.
2. Radiological Society of North America. RadLex Radiology Lexicon — terminology resource.

References document the topic; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of TAGMED services by those organizations.