Study Design: A retrospective analysis of patients with spinal disorders using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) results.

Objective: To review the clinical and MRI results of patients with various scoliotic deformities.

Background: Insufficient reports exist regarding the MRI’s of scoliotic deformities. MRI’s can offer vital information in the diagnosis of various types of scoliosis and their concomitant disorders.

Methods: MRI reults of a total of 277 patients with various types of scoliosis/kyphoscoliosis were reviewed. All patients met the cobb angle criteria: > or = 20 degrees. 65 (23.46%) patients were male and 212 (76.53%) were female. 224 (80.86%) patients received conservative treatment and 53 (19.14%) underwent surgical treatments. 107 (38.62%) patients had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, mean age: 13.7 (7–18) years, 76 (27.43%) adult idiopathic, mean age: 29.53 (19–79) years, 48 (17.32%) congenital, mean age: 12.6, (1–46) years, 29 (10.46%) neuromuscular, mean age: 12.86 (2–30) years, 15 (5.41%) syndromic, mean age: 13.6 (1–29) years, 2 (0.72%) tumor related, mean age:10.5 (8–13) years.

Results: MRI results revealed the spinal cord of 169 (61.01%) patients as normal: no spinal cord anomalies, tumors, or congenital problems. Of the remaining patients 108 (38.98%) the following irregularities were diagnosed: 39 (36.11%) syringohydromyeli in various spinal locations, 29 (26.85%) butterfly vertebrae, 19 tethered cord (17.59%), 10 (9.2%) split cord, 10 diastometamyelia, 10 cleft vertebrae, 14 (12.96%) myelomeningocele, 7 (6.48%) grade one spondilolisthezis, 5 (4.62%) caudal regression syndromes, 6 (5.55%) vertebra partial fusion, 4 (3.7%) cranio-cervical problems, 4 cerebellar tonsillar ectopia, 3 (2.77%) block vertebra, 3 chiari typ2 II, 3 TIS, 2 (1.85%) tumors on the spinal column, 2 neurofibromatosis, 2 introdural lipoma, 2 myelomalacia of the spinal cord, 2 spinal cord injuries, 1 (0.92%) arachnoid cyst, 1 neuroanteric, 1 spina bifida, 1 scheuermann, 1 vertebral artery hypoplasia, 1 sacral dermal sinus, 1 cervical rib, 1 interpedicullar cyst, 1 high scapula, 1 sphenoid sinus retention cyst, 1 paravertebral cyst, 1 Schmorl’s node, 1 Tarlow cyst and 1 intercranial pineal cyst.

Conclusion: Our study revealed how MRI analysis can lead to the accurate diagnosis of scoliotic deformities. In many cases tumors, neuromuscular pathology and syndromic conditions can be misdiagnosed as scoliotic. Careful MRI review can offer vital information for diagnosis and help determine the classification of scoliosis and subsequent treatment.