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Visualization of the spinal vessels on routine abdominal CT

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Abstract

We observed spinal vessels ill 150 patients using, routine abdominal CT. Contiguous 1-cm thick incremental scans were obtained 30–60 s after intrayenous administration of 100 nit non-ionic contrast material (300 mg iodine/ml) at 2–3 ml/s. The area from the superior aspect of the liver to the lower poles of the kidneys was scanned. In 132 88 patients the anterior spinal arteries were visualized as an enhanced clot of the anterior surface of the spinal cord on the contiguous slices. The great radicular arteries arteries of Adamkiewicz were also visualized in 41 (27.3%) patients as an accompanying dot on two to seven contiguous slices, at T10-L2. The importance of the recognition of the normal spinal artery in avoiding misinterpretation, and the potential use of enhanced CT in screening for a variety of vascular diseases, are discussed.

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Correspondence to: O. Sakai

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Sakai, O., Furuse, M., Nakashima, N. et al. Visualization of the spinal vessels on routine abdominal CT. Eur. Radiol. 4, 545–548 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226827

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226827

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