High field magnetic resonance imaging of normal and pathologic human medulla oblongata.

High field proton magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been applied to depict the MR appearance of the normal excised human cervicomedullary junction, based on which neuropathologic specimens can be described. More specifically, two normal cases and one case of Chiari deformity were imaged in the transverse, sagittal, and coronal dimensions using a 9.4 Tesla vertical bore magnet. The MR images of the normal specimens reveal most of the neuroanatomical microstructures described in literature. An accurate description of the Chiari deformity could be made by comparing the MR reference images with those of the pathologic specimen. All MR detected abnormalities were confirmed by histopathology, by which no additional lesions could be found.