Brucellar spondylodiscitis: magnetic resonance imaging features with conventional sequences and diffusion-weighted...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Brucellar spondylodiscitis is a significant spinal infection.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is vital for diagnosis.
• Differentiating acute from chronic stages is clinically important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating acute and chronic brucellar spondylodiscitis.
• To describe MRI characteristics of brucellar spondylodiscitis.
• To highlight the importance and limitations of MRI in this condition.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 25 patients with brucellar spondylodiscitis.
• Review of MRI examinations by two experienced radiologists.
• Assessment of signal and morphological changes, comparing acute and chronic stages.

Main Results:

• Spinal brucellosis involved thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, with associated ligament elevation and abscess formation.
• Conventional MRI showed distinct signal intensities for vertebral bodies, end plates, and discs in acute versus chronic stages.
• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) demonstrated hyperintensity in acute stages and hypointensity in chronic stages.

Conclusions:

• Conventional MRI aids in diagnosing brucellar spondylodiscitis but has limitations in distinguishing acute from chronic forms.
• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a sensitive and fast sequence with significant potential for differentiating acute and chronic brucellar spondylodiscitis.
• DWI is crucial for accurate spinal imaging in brucellar spondylodiscitis management.