Spinal disorders mimicking infection

Insights into Imaging

Marion Hamard¹  Bénédicte Marie Anne Delattre²  Sana Boudabbous²  Emilie Nicodème Paulin³  Maria Isabel Vargas⁴ 

[1] Division of Radiology, Department of Diagnosis, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Geneva 14, Switzerland;Division of Radiology, Department of Diagnosis, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Geneva 14, Switzerland;Faculty of Medicine of the Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland;Division of Radiology, Medical Imaging Department, Hospital of Neuchatel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland;Faculty of Medicine of the Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland;Division of Neuroradiology, Diagnostic Department, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;

关键词: Spondylodiscitis;    Magnetic resonance imaging;    Inflammation;    Degenerative;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13244-021-01103-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Spinal infections are very commonly encountered by radiologists in their routine clinical practice. In case of typical MRI features, the diagnosis is relatively easy to interpret, all the more so if the clinical and laboratory findings are in agreement with the radiological findings. In many cases, the radiologist is able to make the right diagnosis, thereby avoiding a disco-vertebral biopsy, which is technically challenging and associated with a risk of negative results. However, several diseases mimic similar patterns, such as degenerative changes (Modic) and crystal-induced discopathy. Differentiation between these diagnoses relies on imaging changes in endplate contours as well as in disc signal. This review sought to illustrate the imaging pattern of spinal diseases mimicking an infection and to define characteristic MRI and CT patterns allowing to distinguish between these different disco-vertebral disorders. The contribution of advanced techniques, such as DWI and dual-energy CT (DECT) is also discussed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY