MR findings in spinal tuberculosis in an endemic country

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) accounts for 50% or more of skeletal tuberculosis. MRI is a helpful tool for spinal TB. MR findings in spinal TB however, may have several different patterns.

The MRI features of spinal TB and classification as usual and unusual findings are reported. The MR images in 52 proven spinal TB patients in Srinagarind Hospital from 1996 to 2005 were retrospectively reviewed.

There were five characteristics of unusual manifestations, including multiple skip lesions, vertebral body involvement, lamina and spinous process involvement, single vertebral collapse, and intramedullary tuberculoma. The skip lesion of spinal TB was the only distribution pattern significantly identified as being an unusual characteristic by multiple logistic regression.

The most common unusual pattern of spinal TB is skip lesions (11.5%). The distribution of this pattern is statistically significant as an important MRI feature for defining unusual spinal TB.