title: Spinal tuberculosis: a longitudinal study with clinical, laboratory, and imaging outcomes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: APHP, Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Beaujon, 92110 Clichy, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Le Page
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feydy
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rillardon
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Hénanff
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tubach
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Belmatoug
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zarrouk
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guigui
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fantin
mesh_terms: 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*