title: Spondylolysis and Beyond: Value of SPECT/CT in Evaluation of Low Back Pain in Children and Young Adults.
abstract: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) is ideally suited for assessment of low back pain in children and young adults. Spondylolysis is one of the most common structural causes of low back pain and is readily identified and characterized in terms of its chronicity and likelihood to heal. The value of SPECT/CT extends to identification and characterization of other causes of low back pain, including abnormalities of the posterior elements, developing vertebral endplate, transverse processes, and sacrum and sacroiliac joint. Some of the disease processes that are identifiable at SPECT/CT are similar to those that occur in adults (eg, facet hypertrophy) but may be accelerated in young patients by high-level athletic activities. Other processes (eg, limbus vertebrae) are more unique to children, related to injury of the developing spine. The authors review the spectrum of pars interarticularis abnormalities with emphasis on the imaging features of causes of pediatric low back pain other than spondylolysis.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Divisions of Nuclear Medicine (A.T.T., S.E.S., C.G.A., M.J.G.) and Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery (C.T.M.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229.
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Trout
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gelfand
authors.forename: Charles T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Mehlman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013169:Spondylolysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media