Author(s)

Ruo-Qin Cheng, Hong-Hua Jin, Hua-Min Wang, Jun Zhou

MRI Department of the Affiliated Tian-You Hospital, Wuhan University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China.

Objective: To explore the clinicpathologic features and MRI manifestations of the thoracic lumbar tuberculosis by underwenting MRI and pathological examinations. Methods: 34 cases of Thoracic lumbar tuberculosis were collected which underwent MRI examination and confirmed by pathology or treatment of anti-TB drugs, the clinical cure from June 2008 to June 2012 in our hospital. The first MRI was performed on all patients, to determine the MRI findings, and surgical treatment for pathological examination in order to determine the pathological features. Results: 34 patients with 81 vertebral involvement, in which two adjacent vertebral involvement is the common, accounting for 72.25%, vertebral showed uneven long T1, long T2 signal. Intervertebral disc abnormalities accounted for 90.17%, the performance showed long T1, long T2 signal changes in the intervertebral disc damage, often accompanied by disc space narrowing or disappear. Paraspinal abscess accounted for 90.67%, often more than vertebra, up and down across one or more vertebral bodies showed long T1, long T2 signal. The vertebrae were damaged kyphosis or (and) the posterior longitudinal ligament abscess caused by the dural sac and spinal column with pressure accounted for 74.72%. In enhanced scan, vertebrae, intervertebral discs showed heterogeneous enhancement, paraspinal abscess was curved or ring enhancement. The pathological diagnosis may be obvious to confirm the degree of swelling and lesions. Conclusion: By doing the MRI and pathologic examinations, it can determine the clinical and pathological features and MRI findings of spinal tuberculosis patients with Thoracic lumbar spinal tuberculosis, and lay a reliable foundation for the treatment of the subsequent treatment.

Thoracic Lumbar Tuberculosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Pathology

Cheng, R. , Jin, H. , Wang, H. and Zhou, J. (2012) The clinicpathologic features and MRI manifestations of the thoracic lumbar tuberculosis. Health, 4, 1238-1240. doi: 10.4236/health.2012.412182.