[Differential diagnosis of infective spondylodiscitis and erosive degenerative disk disease].

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the value of imaging in the differential diagnosis of erosive intervertebral osteochondrosis (EIVO) versus infectious discitis (ID). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve cases of EIVO and 30 cases of ID were reviewed to define the usefull signs for differential diagnosis on plain films, CT, and MR. RESULTS: No single sign is sufficient, but the association of several signs is suggestive of EIVO: discal vacuum phenomenom, well-defined sclerosis and erosions of vertebral endplates, high signal strip surrounding low signal of vertebral endplates on T1-weighted images. CONCLUSION: Imaging is helpful in difficult differential diagnosis of EIVO versus ID.