CT of lumbar spine disk herniation: correlation with surgical findings.

Computed tomography (CT) of the lumbar spine was performed with selectively positioned 5-mm-thick axial cross sections to examine each disk level from the top of the neural foramen to the pedicle of the next caudad vertebra. One hundred consecutive patients with 116 surgical disk explorations were reviewed. There was agreement between the CT and surgical findings in 89 patients (104 explorations) in determination of presence or absence of a herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). Discrepancy occurred in 12 instances (11 patients): two because of incorrect interpretations, five in previously operated patients, three in spondylolisthesis, and two in spinal stenosis. There were 97 true-positives, eight false-negatives, seven true-negatives, and four false-positives. If nine previously operated patients are excluded from the study, then CT was accurate in detection of presence or absence of an HNP in 93% of the disk explorations.