DIAGNOSTICS OF AN ACUTE VERTEBROMEDULLAR INSUFFICIENCY SYNDROME IN CHILDREN CONSIDERING A STAGE OF PATHOLOGICAL PROCESS

Abstract

Objective. The analysis of diagnostics efficiency of the spine and spinal cord lesions in children.

Material and Methods. A retrospective analysis of 622 cases of stable spine lesions without spinal cord compression in children was performed. Sensitivity and specificity of clinical, radiological and neurophysiologic methods of diagnostics were estimated at each stage of pathological process. The importance of each diagnostic method at various stages was evaluated.

Results. A tendency to specificity enhancement of clinical and radiological examinations, growth of prognostic value of positive results and decline in importance of negative results with time was revaled. Sensitivity and specificity of primary clinical examination results are rather high, but prognostic value of positive and negative results is low. Time dependence factor is well-defined at diagnosis of spinal cord lesions.

Conclusion. To determine a degree of lesion the data of clinical and radiological examinations are more valuable at clinical subcompensated and decompensated stages, additional methods (MRI, ENMG) are more important at the stage of clinical compensation.