Sterile, benign radiculitis associated with lumbosacral lateral recess spinal canal stenosis: evaluation with enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Two cases of symptomatic lumbar lateral recess stenosis are described in which the compressed nerve root became focally enhanced on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies performed with gadolinium DTPA. Two men with low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy were examined with contrast-enhanced MRI studies, which showed intradural enhancement of the symptomatic nerve roots. In selected cases of lateral recess stenosis, focal radicular injury may be visualized on enhanced MRI as a result of a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.