Thoracic Spine MRI

MRI of the thoracic spine covering T1-T12 vertebrae, discs, and the thoracic spinal cord. Evaluates mid-back pain, thoracic disc pathology, and demyelinating conditions.

The thoracic spine MRI images the twelve thoracic vertebrae, intervertebral discs, thoracic spinal cord, and the costovertebral articulations. The thoracic segment is the longest but least commonly symptomatic portion of the spine; however, when pathology occurs here it can be clinically significant due to the relatively narrow thoracic canal and the vulnerability of the thoracic cord to compression. The protocol includes sagittal T1, T2, and STIR sequences plus axial T2-weighted images at levels of interest. The STIR sequence is particularly valuable for detecting vertebral compression fractures (including insufficiency fractures in osteoporotic patients), infectious spondylodiscitis, and metastatic deposits. The radiologist also assesses for Scheuermann's disease, thoracic disc herniations, and cord signal abnormalities that may indicate demyelination or myelopathy. This scan is priced as a single spine section and can be combined with the cervical or lumbar segment in a two-section package for 13,800 CZK. It is commonly ordered for patients with mid-back pain, suspected vertebral fracture, oncological staging, or neurological conditions affecting the thoracic cord.