Myelograms

What to Expect

Your physician will inject the special dye into your spinal sac via a spinal tap. You will lay on a tilting table, and as the table tilts, dye will outline your spinal sac. Then multiple X-rays are taken to show the physician the flow of the dye, helping to determine if there is any unusual indentations.

Common Uses

Myelograms are helpful in determining if there is pressure on the spinal nerves. The dye that is injected shows the bones and spinal fluid. If there is something pushing into the nerves, the dye would show an indentation or mark in the spinal sac. Pressure could be caused by a herniated or bulging disc, lesions, tumors or injury to the spinal nerve roots. A myelogram is also performed to determine the cause of arm or leg numbness, weakness or pain.

Risks

Since this scan requires a spinal tap, there are more risks than other imaging tests. Risks include headache, allergic reactions to the dye, menengitis (infection of the spinal fluid) and exposure to radiation.