Back pain can result from a number of causes including degenerative and congenital spinal stenosis, infection, trauma, neoplasm and inflammatory arthritic processes. Acquired spinal stenosis due to degenerative joint and disc disease accounts for vast majority of cases. In many centers the use of myelography is steadily declining. Additionally in today’s ever changing medical economic climate the cost of imaging study requested must be considered. Taking this into account  the present study was done to assess how specific Magnetic Resonance  Myelography is, in identification of Degenerative Disc Disease of Lumbar Spine in comparision to routine MRI of lumbar spine in both axial and sagittal T1 and T2 weighted images. in the department of Radio-Diagnosis & Imaging, Mamata Medical college & Hospital, Khammam between November 2007 – October 2009 over 100patients. Out of 100,70 patients had multiple level of disc prolaps. Degenerative disease is more common in the age group of 41-51 (30%).the most common level of degenerative disease was at L4 –L5(42%) In evaluation of Diffuse Disc Bulge MR Myelography alone is  sufficient but in case of suspected intra spinal lesion Conventional MRI of spine is the gold standard technique.

Key Words: Degenerative disc disease, L4-L5,myelography, Mri.

1.      Frymoyer  JW, Cata-Baril WL: An overview of the incidinces and costs of low back pain. Orthop clin North Am 1991; 22:263-271.

2.      Moreland LW, Lopez-Mendez A, Alarcon GS: spinal stenosis:  A comprehensive          review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1989;19:127-149.

3.      Ross JS, Perez-Reges N, Masaryk T , et al: Thoracic  disc herniation  MR imaging. Radiology 1987; 165:511-515.

4.      Dublin AB, McGahan JP, Reid MH: The value of computed tomographic metrizimide myelography in the neuroradiological evaluation of the spine. Radiology 1983; 146:79-86.

5.      Phillipe Demaerel, Hilde Bosmans, Guy Wilms, Patrick Aerts, Jan Gaens,Jan Goffin,Christian Piets, Guy Marchal Kidfer, Albert L. Baert. Rapid Lumbar spine MR Myelography Using Rapid Acquisition with Relaxation Enhancement. AJR 168, Feb 1997: 377-378.

6.      Eberhardt KE, Hollenbach HP, Huk WJ 3D-MR myelography in diagnosis of lumbar spinal nerve root compression syndromes. Comparative study with conventional Myelography. Aktuelle Radiol 1994 Nov; 4(6):313-7.

7.      Thorton MJ, Lee MJ, Pender S, McGrath FP, Brennan RP, Varghese JC. Department of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Ireland. Evaluation of the role of Magnetic Resonance Myelography in lumbar spine imaging. Eur Radiol 1999; 9: 924–9.

8.      Zisch RJ, Hollenbach HP, Artmann W Lumbar myelography with three-demensional MR Imaging, J Magn Reson Imaging 1992 Nov-Dec; 2(6):731-4.

9.      Scarabino T, Giannatempo GM, Perfetto F, Popoliziio T, Salvolini U Magnetic resonance Myelography with a fast-spin-echo sequence. Radiol Med (Torino) 1996  Mar; 91(3):202-6.

10.  Ross JS, Ruggieri P, Tkach J, Obuchowski N, Dillinger J, Masaryk TJ, Modic MT Lumbar degenerated disc disease: prospective comparision of conventional T2-weighted spin-echo imaging and T2-weighted rapid acquisition relaxation-enhanced imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradio 1993 Sep-Oct; 14(5):1215-23.

11.  Taher El Gammal, Betty Sue Brooks, R.Marvin Freedy, Cleve E, Crews MR Myelography:Imaging Findings. AJR January 1995; 164: 173-177.

12.  Freund M, Hutzelmann A, Steffans JC, Buhl R, Heller M [MR Myelography in spinal canal stenosis]. Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 1997 Nov; 167(5):474-8.