title: Early diagnosis of single segment vertebral osteomyelitis--MR pattern and its characteristics.
abstract: Nine cases of single segment vertebral osteomyelitis were included based on the single level of vertebral body involvement according to the MR findings. They were 3 cases with tuberculous infection and 6 cases with pyogenic infection. The vertebral body involvement was presented as abnormal signal changes (100%) and heterogenous enhancement (77.7%). They usually caused the cortical disruption in its anterior aspect (100%). It goes along the upward subligamentous spread (100%) most often, then the upper disc involvement (66.6%) and downward subligamentous spread (55.5%). The lower disc involvement is least common (11.1%). By using these criteria, the single segment vertebral osteomyelitis could be earlier diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Taiwan University, Medical College and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*