Discography, also known as discogram, is a diagnostic procedure used to identify the source of back or neck pain by assessing the integrity of the intervertebral discs in the spine. It’s typically performed when other imaging tests like MRI or CT scans haven’t provided sufficient information about the cause of the pain.
During discography, a contrast dye is injected directly into the center of one or more intervertebral discs in the spine. This is usually done under fluoroscopic guidance, which allows the doctor to see the needle’s placement in real-time. The injected dye helps to visualize the internal structure of the disc on X-ray images.
After the dye is injected, the patient is asked to provide feedback about any pain or discomfort experienced. If the dye injection reproduces the patient’s typical pain symptoms, it suggests that the disc being tested is the likely source of the pain.
Discography can be helpful in diagnosing conditions such as disc degeneration, disc herniation, or tears in the outer layers of the disc (annular tears). However, it’s worth noting that discography is considered an invasive procedure and carries some risks, including infection, bleeding, or exacerbation of existing pain. Therefore, it’s usually reserved for cases where non-invasive imaging tests have not provided sufficient diagnostic information, and the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
