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Disc degeneration of pediatric patients in lumbar MRI
1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Turku, Finland.
Insights
Pediatric spinal disease rarely causes early lumbar disc degeneration (DD) in children under 10. This study found DD uncommon in young patients, even with suspected spinal conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Spine Imaging
- Orthopedic Research
Background:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for diagnosing pediatric spinal disorders.
- The prevalence of lumbar disc degeneration (DD) in children with these conditions is largely unstudied.
- Early detection of DD is important for long-term spinal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of early lumbar disc degeneration (DD) in children with suspected spinal disease.
- To compare DD rates in pediatric patients versus healthy controls.
- To determine if spinal disease increases the risk of early DD in children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of lumbar MRI scans from 32 pediatric patients and 49 age-matched controls (all under 15 years old).
- T2-weighted MRI sequences were used to assess for signs of disc degeneration.
- Data were analyzed to compare DD prevalence between patient and control groups.
Main Results:
- Lumbar disc degeneration (DD) was identified in only 4 patients (13%), all over 10 years old.
- Disc degeneration was present in 11 control subjects (22%).
- DD was infrequently observed in patients under 10 years old.
Conclusions:
- Early lumbar disc degeneration (DD) appears uncommon in children, even those with suspected spinal conditions.
- Age is a significant factor, with DD rarely seen in children under 10.
- Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications of DD in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in pediatric spinal disorders, but the prevalence of associated lumbar disc degeneration (DD) has not been evaluated previously. In this study we investigated whether children with suspected spinal disease had increased tendency to early DD. We analyzed lumbar MRI scans of 32 patients and 49 control subjects under 15 years old. Only four patients (13%) had DD on T2-weighted MRI and they were all over 10 years old. Eleven subjects (22%) in the control group had DD. It seems that disc degeneration is seldom found in patients under 10 years old.