title: Tuberculosis of the lower cervical spine: a description of two cases.
abstract: Tubercular infection is a rare occurrence in the lower cervical spine. The isolated involvement of the posterior arch is particularly rare, and the very few cases in which it is reported at the thoracic or lumbar levels were principally observed in immunodepressive patients. It is the purpose of this study to describe two cases of tuberculosis of the lower cervical spine with neurological deficit: one expansive neoformation at the level of the arch of C7, with saving of the vertebral body and the discs, and a spondylodiscitis at C4-C5, treated conservatively, the healing process of which was followed by MRI.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Università di Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mariconda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavano
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iannò
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Volpentesta
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents