Magnetic resonance imaging of renal abnormalities in patients with congenital osseous anomalies of the spine

Background: Patients with congenital osseous anomalies of the spine are known to have a high prevalence of abnormalities in the renal system and of the spinal cord. Today, the screening tools of choice to detect these abnormalities include ultrasonography of the kidneys and collecting system and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine. A single screening tool that can identify both renal and intraspinal anomalies would be ideal. Methods: Imaging studies of all patients with a congenital osseous anomaly of the spine seen at our institution during a ten-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients who had had both a sonogram of the renal system and a magnetic resonance imaging study of the entire spine were included in the investigation. All studies were reviewed blindly by a pediatric radiologist for this study. Results: One hundred and fifty-three patients met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Forty-one patients (27%) had a total of forty-seven renal abnormalities noted on both the sonogram and the magnetic resonance imaging scan. In no instance was a renal anomaly seen on one study and not on the other. Conclusions: When properly performed, screening magnetic resonance imaging scans of the spine can show renal abnormalities, thus obviating the need for a separate screening renal ultrasound study.