title: The Diagnostic Value of MRI in Brucella Spondylitis With Comparison to Clinical and Laboratory Findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brucellosis is an endemic zoonotic disease, especially in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions and can involve many organs and tissue. Osteoarticular involvement is the most common complication. Spondylitis is its most prevalent clinical form in adults, and there may be difficult in diagnosis and treatment. In present study, we aimed to assess these diagnostic value of MRI, in patients with spondylitis due to brucella, comparing with clinical and laboratory findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with low back pain who were admitted to Sheikhol-raees MRI center were included in this study. None of these patients had any documented infectious disease. Diagnosis of brucellosis was made, based on MRI findings, which would be approved by serology. After confirmation with serology, the group with positive serology were compared with the negative group, in sex, age, MRI findings level of vertebral involvements, signal intensity in T1 weighted and T2 weighted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 53 patients with diagnosis of brucella spondylitis, 33 underwent serology study, 20 were positive and 13 were negative and the others consider out of study. From these 20, 3 had tuberculosis spondylitis, whose mean age was 56 and the 67% of them were male. Mean age in the positive brucella spondylitis were 46 and 67% of them were male. In negative group mean age was 55, and of whom 57% were male. There was no statistically significant difference in MRI findings such as changes in signal intensity, disk space narrowing, Intracanalicular mass, Abscess formation. Level of invlovment in vertebrae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study shows that although MRI is Modality of choice in diagnosis of spondylitis, it is not enough specific to diagnosis the reasons of spondylitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Baradaran
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Koorosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Mashad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Niaz Mohamad Jafari
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Chokan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mashad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Mashad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akhavan
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Mashad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bolvardi
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Resident, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soroureddin
keywords: Brucellosis; MRI; Spondylitis; Vertebrae