title: Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of tuberculous spondylitis vs. pyogenic spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features differentiating tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  MR imaging findings in 10 patients with tuberculous spondylitis were retrospectively compared with those of 13 patients with pyogenic spondylitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in imaging criteria (paraspinal abnormal signal, paraspinal or intraspinal abscess, thoracic spine involvement, and abnormal signal around the facet joint).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MR imaging is a very useful technique for differentiation of tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan. yuuko-ygc@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis*