Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the method of choice for imaging the spine for the suspicion of non-traumatic disorder, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), transverse myelitis, epidural abscess, spinal cord infarcts, and spondylotic myelopathy (changes in the spinal cord due to disk herniation or osteophytes in degenerative joint disease).
If the differential diagnosis includes infection, neoplasm, demyelination or inflammation, then IV contrast should be administered.
References
Singh K, Mechtler LL and Klein JP. Imaging of Spinal Cord Disorders. Continuum 2016;22(5):1595 1612
