[Differential diagnosis of infective spondylodiscitis and erosive degenerative disk disease].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of imaging in the differential diagnosis of erosive intervertebral osteochondrosis (EIVO) versus infectious discitis (ID).


METHODS
Twelve cases of EIVO and 30 cases of ID were reviewed to define the usefull signs for differential diagnosis on plain films, CT, and MR.


RESULTS
No single sign is sufficient, but the association of several signs is suggestive of EIVO: discal vacuum phenomenom, well-defined sclerosis and erosions of vertebral endplates, high signal strip surrounding low signal of vertebral endplates on T1-weighted images.


CONCLUSIONS
Imaging is helpful in difficult differential diagnosis of EIVO versus ID.
Champsaur
P
P
Service de Radiologie et Imagerie Médicale, CHU de la Timone, 254, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.
Parlier-Cuau
C
C
Juhan
V
V
Daumen-Legré
V
V
Chagnaud
C
C
Lafforgue
P
P
Laredo
J D
JD
Kasbarian
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015299:Discitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010007:Osteochondritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed