Computed Tomography of Spinal Tuberculosis

ABSTRACT

Twenty-nine patients with spinal tuberculosis were evaluated by computed tomography (CT). The contiguous involvemnt of the vertibral bodies as well as the detailed localization of the destruction were analyzed. Our result disclosed that there was a higher incidence of the destruction of pedicles(68 percent) and an involve-ment of posterior elements (13 percent). Frequent patterns were fragmentation, sequestrae, disc space narrowing reactive sclerosis, paravertebral mass (abscess) and calcification. CT also p--vided precise information about the rim, density and size of the soft tissue mass, particularly following intravenous contrast infusion. CT was found to be helpful in the evaluation of the extent of osseous and soft tissue involvement as well as the destructive pattern. We conclude that CT can be used to detect the extent of osseous and paravertebral soft tissue involvement and to differentiate spinal tuberculosis from a neoplastic lesion.