Diagnostik von Rückenschmerzen – Welchen Stellenwert hat die molekulare Magnetresonanztomografie?

Zusammenfassung

Rückenschmerzen betreffen weltweit über 600 Millionen Menschen und führen zu enormen sozioökonomischen Belastungen. Eine zentrale Rolle spielt die degenerative Bandscheibenerkrankung („Degenerative Disk Disease“ DDD), die mit strukturellen und funktionellen Veränderungen der Bandscheiben einhergeht. Während die konventionelle Magnetresonanztomografie (MRT) etablierter Standard zur Darstellung fortgeschrittener morphologischer Veränderungen ist, erlaubt sie keine Aussage über frühe biochemische Prozesse in der Entwicklung einer DDD. Molekulare MRT-Techniken wie gagCEST, Natriumbildgebung, T2-/T2*-Mapping und T1rho ermöglichen die Detektion früher, potenziell reversibler Bandscheibenveränderungen. Studien zeigen deren diagnostischen Mehrwert bei unspezifischem Rückenschmerz, Radikulopathie, entzündlichen Erkrankungen und Belastungszuständen. Ihr potenzieller zukünftiger Einsatz liegt besonders in der Frühdiagnostik und Therapiekontrolle der DDD bei Rückenschmerz.

Schlüsselwörter

Rückenschmerz - MRT - molekulare Bildgebung - Bandscheibendegeneration

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