Preoperative and postoperative neuroradiologic evaluation of lumbar disk herniation.

Three hundred and forty patients with signs and symptoms of lumbar disk disease were evaluated preoperatively by conventional X-rays, computed tomography, and 2.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). High-resolution T2 weighted MRI provided a truly noninvasive myelogram. The operative findings were predicted by and correlated with the neuroradiologic studies. High-resolution MRI with intravenous gadolinium-DTPA (Magnevist, Berlex) has been particularly useful in evaluating patients with a history of prior disk surgery and patients who were not relieved of pain by lumbar diskectomy.