Percutaneous vertebroplasty as treatment for Kummell's disease.
We report a case with classic clinical findings and imaging features of Kummell's disease. Kummell's disease is a post-traumatic vertebral body collapse. Initially after the trauma patients are usually asymptomatic but after months they develop a symptomatic and progressive kyphosis of the lower thoracic or lumbar spine. On a conventional radiograph a collapsed vertebral body with a fracture cleft is typical and on MRIT2 weighted images the double line sign is characteristic for Kummell's disease; an increased linear area of hyper-intensity surrounded by an area of low signal. Percutaneous vertebroplasty is an adequate treatment for stabilization of the fracture and pain reduction in patients with Kummell's disease.
van der Schaaf
I
I
Dpt of Radiology, UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands. irenemarieke@yahoo.com
Fransen
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000379:methods*