[Value of magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis of brucellar spondylitis]

To study characteristic presentations of Brucellar spondylitis on MRI in order to improve the diagnostic level.

From October 2009 to December 2010,15 patients with Brucellar spondylitis were evaluated by MRI. They included 11 males and 4 females ranging in age from 31 to 64 (mean 49) years. The major clinical manifestations were different degrees of fatigue,fever and low back pain. All patients underwent MRI and treated with antibiotic drugs.

Brucellar spondylitis was mostly localized at the lumbar spine with obvious bony hyperostosis in the vertebral periphery. Most foci were in the edge, anterior and middle parts of the vertebral body, with low signals on T1WI and mixed low signals on T2WI, and high signals on T2 fat suppression, mostly without significant changes in intervertebral space. Paraspinal abscess was observed in 5 cases. Thirteen cases involved the lumbar vertebrae, 1 case involved the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and 1 case involved the lumbar and sacral vertebrae. Two vertebrae were affected in 14 cases, and 3 vertebrae were affected in 1 case.

MRI can provide imaging clues for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Brucellar spondylitis, and has a high clinical value.