Subdural injection of contrast medium during cervical myelography.

The research article describes complications observed in three patients (1 dog, 2 horses) during myelography, due to the injection of contrast medium into the portion of the meninges that is closer to the surface than the subarachnoid space. The study finds that contrast medium injected in this area tends to accumulate and behave in a specific manner. Further, the study speculates that the contrast medium may be collected within the structurally weak area between the dura mater and the arachnoid membrane, known as the subdural space.

Objective of the Research

• The primary objective of this research was to study the complications that occur during myelography, a type of imaging test used to verify issues with the spinal cord.
• The research specifically focused on complications that arise from the injection of contrast medium into the meninges (protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord) that are above the subarachnoid space.

Research Methodology and Findings

• The researchers observed myelographies performed on three patients (one dog and two horses), where the procedure was complicated supposedly due to the misplacement of the contrast medium.
• They observed that when the contrast medium was injected into this location (above the subarachnoid space but below the dura mater) in a cadaver, it accumulated dorsally within the vertebral canal.
• The border of the contrast medium was wavy or undulated at the front and smooth at the back. The researchers speculate that this was due to the contrast medium pooling within the structurally weak dural border cell layer.

Discussion and Conclusions

• The findings of this research indicate potential complications that can arise during myelography if the contrast medium is administered superficially to the subarachnoid space.
• The collected contrast medium is believed to be sequestered within the structurally weak layer between the dura mater and the arachnoid membrane, also known as the subdural space. Hence, extra caution needs to be taken in the injection of contrast medium during myelographies to avoid these complications.