ABSTRACT
evaluation of the vertebral osteomyelitis and tuberculous spondylitis need an accurate and specific imaging modality to guide invasive procedures for a definitive microbiological diagnosis and to spare patients with other disorders that might mimic these entities a percutaneous or open biopsy. the aim of this study is to assess the validity of Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] in diagnosis and characterization of the spinal infection, either pyogenie or graulomatous, and specifically the tuberculous spondylitis. twenty patients who were clinically and radiographically suspected of having vertebral osteomyelitis, or Tuberculous spondylitis They were evaluated with MRI after performing conventional x-ray of the involved spinal region, with analysis of the imaging findings by two experienced radiologists to set the imaging diagnosis. MRI findings showed good correlation with the clinical signs and symptoms in 19 patients out of the 20 included in this study, also these imaging findings revealed high predictive ratio for the spinal infection category in 19 out of 20 patients, with excellent accuracy and specificity ratios, ten patients were proved either radiologically or micobiologically to have spinal osteomyelitis, and the other ten to have Tuberculous spondylitis. MRI is an accurate and sensitive modality in diagnosis of spinal infection, and have a high specificity rate in characterization of the type of infection, it is also capable to give excellent anatomical details regarding the extra-vertebral extension of the encountered pathological process