Open AccessSpinal Infections
Author(s) -
Andrés Arbeláez,
Feliza Restrepo,
Maurício Castillo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
topics in magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1536-1004
pISSN - 0899-3459
DOI - 10.1097/rmr.0000000000000032
Subject(s) - medicine , meninges , spinal cord , magnetic resonance imaging , intervertebral disc , epidural space , pathophysiology , pathology , radiology , surgery , psychiatry
Spinal infections represent a group of rare conditions affecting vertebral bodies, intervertebral discs, paraspinal soft tissues, epidural space, meninges, and spinal cord. The causal factors, clinical presentations, and imaging features are a challenge because the difficulty to differentiate them from other conditions, such as degenerative and inflammatory disorders and spinal neoplasm. They require early recognition because delay diagnosis, imaging, and intervention may have devastating consequences especially in children and the elderly. This article reviews the most common spinal infections, their pathophysiologic, clinical manifestation, and their imaging findings.