MRI Evaluation of Spinal Tuberculosis: Findings from a Retrospective Study

Abstract

Introduction: Spinal tuberculosis or Pott's disease accounts for 1–5% of the cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Radiological imaging, specifically medical resonance imaging (MRI), is the preferred tool for effectively diagnosing spinal tuberculosis. We evaluated the MRI features, demographic distribution, and clinical presentation among patients with spinal tuberculosis in a tertiary care hospital in Karad, India. Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed data, including medical records and MRI scans of patients with clinically suspected spinal tuberculosis (July 2022 to December 2023). We collected and analyzed the patient demographics, medical and clinical history, and diagnostic data, including plain and contrast-enhanced MRI scans and analyzed. Results: Of the 36 patients included in the study, 20 (55.6%) were male, and the mean age was 41.6 years. Back pain was the most prominently reported symptom (58.3%). 75% patients had epidural involvement, 38% had endplate irregularity, 33% had vertebral body collapse, and 13.8% had complete vertebral body destruction. All patients had altered signal intensities and 91% had intervertebral disc involvement. 27.8%, 36.1%, and 72.2% of patients had cord edema, cord compression, and thecal compression, respectively. 83.3% patients had pre- and paravertebral abscess and 19% had psoas abscess. Conclusions: The use of MRI helped us in visualizing features of spinal tuberculosis that would have been difficult with regular radiographs. The outcomes from our study are in line with those reported by previous studies. MRI is the most preferred non-invasive tool for effectively diagnosing and assessing the extent of spinal tuberculosis.