title: Radiological and scintigraphic findings in patients with a clinical history of chronic inflammatory back pain.
abstract: The prevalence of radiological abnormalities of the sacroiliac joints, the manubriosternal joint, and the lumbar spine were assessed, and quantitative sacroiliac scintigraphy was performed in 151 patients with a history of chronic inflammatory back pain and in 31 controls with non-inflammatory back pain. Sacroiliitis was found in 124 patients (82%), manubriosternal lesions in 84 patients (56%), and lesions of the lumbar spine in 58 patients (38%). In 19 patients (13%), manubriosternal lesions provided the sole radiological abnormality and in five patients (3%) no radiological abnormality could be demonstrated at any of these sites. Quantitative sacroiliac scintigraphy showed increased values in 69 of 137 patients examined (50%), but also in 10 out of 12 control patients with disc degeneration (83%) and is, therefore, nonspecific for inflammatory lesions. Radiological examination of the manubriosternal joint is recommended in patients with inflammatory back pain without radiographic evidence of sacroiliitis.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Goei The
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goedhard
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lokkerbol
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahmy
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Steven
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cats
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging