Spinal tuberculosis: a longitudinal study with clinical, laboratory, and imaging outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To study imaging changes associated with spinal tuberculosis (ST) over time and evaluate their association with clinical and laboratory data.


METHODS
Between 1997 and 2004, patients with proven ST in our institution were prospectively enrolled and treated for 1 year. Clinical and laboratory data were collected at baseline and every 3 months. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed at baseline. MRI was performed at least twice during treatment and at the end of treatment.


RESULTS
Nineteen patients were enrolled; neurological signs were present at baseline in 14 patients (74%). Initial MRI/CT findings comprised (in percentages of patients) the following: paravertebral abscesses (100/100); intradiscal abscesses (47/0); and epidural abscesses (82/24) with spinal cord compression (64/18) or radicular compression (36/0). Edema of the vertebral body was observed on initial MRI in all the patients. Full follow-up data were available for 15 patients: all were cured with a mean follow-up of 25 months after the end of treatment. Weight gain was nearly maximal at 6 months, and pain relief was achieved within 9 months. C-reactive protein returned to normal after 3 months. On MRI, all epidural abscesses disappeared within 9 months; paravertebral abscesses disappeared after 3, 6, and 12 months in 45, 50, and 85% of patients, respectively. Vertebral body signal converted to a fatty signal in 75% of cases at 12 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant imaging abnormalities can persist after successful treatment of ST. These findings suggest that MRI need not be repeated in patients with clinical and laboratory improvement.
Le Page
Laurence
L
APHP, Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Beaujon, 92110 Clichy, France.
Feydy
Antoine
A
Rillardon
Ludovic
L
Dufour
Véronique
V
Le Hénanff
Anne
A
Tubach
Florence
F
Belmatoug
Nadia
N
Zarrouk
Virginie
V
Guigui
Pierre
P
Fantin
Bruno
B
D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D015299:Discitis / Q000382:microbiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000382:microbiology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*