[Magnetic resonance imaging study of disc low back pain]

To study the diagnostic value of disc low back pain (DLBP) with lumbar disc high-intensity zone on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) .

The 21 patients of pare examination with MRI and CT discography (CTD) must have chronic low back pain without radicular pain and with no disc herniation on the CT or MRI. We have worked out the standard of CTD group and positive disc. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value that the positive disc was diagnosed with MRI was used for statistical analysis in SPSS 15.0.

MRI showed 28 abnormal signal discs in 21 patients, including the high-intensity zone of posterior annulus in 12 discs and later- posterior annulus in 3 discs and discs degeneration in other 13 discs. The results of pare examination with MRI and CTD to 28 abnormal signal discs and 5 normal signal discs was (1)MRI showed the high-intensity zone of poster annulus in 12 discs and later- poster annulus in 2 discs and discs degeneration in 5 discs, while CTD showed 19 discs for group 2 with all positive discs. The shape of high-intensity zone showed on MRI was showed no difference with the shape of contrast agent collected under periphery disc on CTD. (2) MRI showed another high-intensity zone of later- poster annulus in 3 discs, while CTD showed one disc for group 5 with positive. (3) MRI showed the discs degeneration, while CTD showed 7 discs for group 3 with negative discs. (4) MRI showed 1 disc degeneration and 5 normal discs, while CTD showed 6 discs for group 1 with negative discs. (5)The sensitivity of diagnosis positive discs was 75%, the specificity and positive predictive value was respectively 100% with MRI.

The high-intensity zone of poster/later- poster annulus on MRI was typical sign of disc disruption and the important clinical role for diagnosing disc low back pain.