[The value of CT in the pre-operative diagnosis of disc prolapse (author's transl)].

A disc prolapse can be directly visualised by CT. Forty patients with a clinical diagnosis of disc prolapse were examined pre-operatively. The following criteria were noted: 1. Level, 2. lateralisation, 3. medial or lateral position, 4. differentiation between protrusion and sequestration, 5 displacement of the sequestrum. In 38 patients surgery was performed. Criteria 1 to 3 had been correctly diagnosed in 35 and 34 resp. and Ct proved equally reliable in respect of criteria 4 and 5. It is concluded that the combination of clinical examination and CT provides adequate diagnostic information before surgery. Myelography should be used only where there is still doubt.