Three-dimensional computed tomography in the assessment of congenital scoliosis

Patients with congenital vertebral anomalies frequently are afflicted with kyphoscoliosis, with the curvatures often being severe and progressive. Spinal fusion almost always is the treatment of choice in such patients. This report examines the use of three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) in the preoperative investigation of patients with congenital scoliosis.

Twelve spinal CT examinations on 11 pediatric patients with congenital scoliosis underwent image processing to produce 3D images. The 3D images were compared with both the axial sections from the CT examinations and multiplanar reformations with regard to the detection of malformations liable to cause progression of scoliosis (i. e., hemivertebrae and unsegmented bars).

In six of the 12 cases, the 3D images provided improved depiction of the congenital anomalies and their interrelationships compared with planar CT images. This work suggests that 3D CT can be a useful tool in the assessment of patients with congenital scoliosis.