[en] Purpose: To evaluate the symphyseal changes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Material and Methods: Radiological-morphological changes of the symphysis were studied in 68 patients (66 men, 2 women) with ankylosing spondylitis whose age ranged from 21 to 75 years. The duration of the disease was from 2 to 50 years. Results and Conclusion: Changes in the symphysis were found in 16 patients (23.5%) and were less prominent than findings in the sacroiliac joints. We classified these changes into four stages: minimal changes, apparent destruction, reparation and ankylosis. The third and the fourth stages of the changes in the symphysis were found more frequently in patients who suffered from the disease for more than 15 years. Radiological evaluation of symphyseal changes can be helpful in the evaluation of disease progression as well as in establishing a differential diagnosis

[en] The spine is the most common site of skeletal tuberculosis. It is still common disease in our country although recent advanced therapy developed with the many preventive medicine. 49 cases of tuberculous spondylitis, proved at the Chosun University Hospital, during period of Aug. 1973 to Aug. 1979, were reviewed. The results were as follows: 1. The sex ratio between male to female was 1 : 1.4. Age distribution showed that the group below 10 years was 12%. 2. The ratio between urban and rural was 1 : 5. 3. The most frequent site of the involvement was lumbar spine (40.8%). The next was thoracic (28.6%), thoracolumbar (10.2%), lumbosacral (8.2%), sacroilia (8.2%), cervical (2.0%), and sacral (2.0%). 4. 51.0 percent was associated with pulmonary tuberculosis and 56.0 percent of them reveal active pulmonary tuberculosis. 5. The major roentgenographic findings were remarkable with destruction of the intervertebral body (91.1%), narrowing of the intervertebral space (81.6%), kyphosis (75.5%), collapse of the vertebral body (77.6%), cold abscess (65.3%), calcification of the adjacent area (18.4%), formation of the osteophyte (18.4%). 6. There was no relationship between the duration of the disease and the degree of the involvement of the vertebral body

[en] This study attempts to reconcile the apparent differences in the reported frequency of ankylosing spondylitis and radiological sacroilitis in HLA-B27 positive individuals. Pelvic radiographs from 125 Busselton subjects were mixed with 81 other films selected to illustrate the possible range of sacroiliac changes and were graded by observers who were involved in 2 of the conflicting studies and by a 3rd independent observer. Concordance was high for advanced bilateral disease but not for unilateral and milder changes. Variation between observers and the interpretation of sacroiliac radiographs is sufficiently large to account for much of the disagreement between frequency estimates

[en] Sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the sternoclavicular joint and upper ribs. There is a strong association with seronegative spondyloarthropathy in which bilateral involvement is common. Ultrasonography and Color Doppler findings of this entity have not been described previously, to the best of our knowledge. We describe the findings in a patient of ankylosing spondylitis who was referred for unilateral sternoclavicular joint swelling

[en] Purpose: To analyze multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) cervical spine findings in trauma patients with advanced ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Material and Methods: Using PACS, 2282 cervical spine MDCT examinations requested by emergency room physicians were found during a period of 3 years. Of these patients, 18 (16 M, aged 41-87, mean 57 years) had advanced AS. Primary imaging included radiography in 12 and MRI in 11 patients. Results: MDCT detected one facet joint subluxation and 31 fractures in 17 patients: 14 transverse fractures, 8 spinous process fractures, 2 Jefferson's fractures, 1 type I and 2 type II odontoid process fractures, and 1 each: atlanto-occipital joint fracture and C2 laminar fracture plus isolated transverse process and facet joint fractures. Radiographs detected 48% and MRI 60% of the fractures. MRI detected all transverse and odontoid fractures, demonstrating spinal cord abnormalities in 72%. Conclusion: MDCT is superior to plain radiographs or MRI, showing significantly more injuries and yielding more information on fracture morphology. MRI is valuable, however, in evaluating the spinal cord and soft-tissue injuries. Fractures in advanced AS often show an abnormal orientation and are frequently associated with spinal cord injuries. In these patients, for any suspected cervical spine injuries, MDCT is therefore the imaging modality of choice

[en] Published in summary form only. 1 reference

[en] Highlights: • Pyogenic spondylitis had higher mean diffusivity (P = 0.001) than tuberculous spondylitis. • Pyogenic spondylitis had lower fractional anisotropy (P = 0.001) than tuberculous spondylitis. • DTI parameters help in differentiation pyogenic from tuberculous spondylitis. to assess diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); an emerging technique for differentiation between pyogenic and tuberculous spondylitis.

[en] Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) may present with extra-articular involvement in the lungs. We aimed to evaluate the abnormal pulmonary multidetector computed tomography findings of patients with AS and compare them with the clinical symptoms, duration of illness, laboratory results and pulmonary function tests (PFT). We evaluated the chest multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) findings of 41 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and compared them with pulmonary function test (PFT) results, demographic characteristics, duration of illness and laboratory findings that we were able to obtain. The most common abnormalities were nodules, peribronchial thickening, pleural thickening and bronchiectasis. Abnormalities occurred in 96.87% of patients in the early AS group and 77.8% of patients in the late AS group. Patients with early AS included asymptomatic individuals with normal PFT results and abnormal MDCT findings. The use of MDCT in AS patients may be beneficial for the evaluation of pulmonary disease, even in asymptomatic patients without any PFT abnormalities and those in the early stages of the disease

[en] We studied to determine whether the degenerative spondylolisthesis has rotary deformity in addition to forward displacement. We have made analysis of difference of rotary deformity between the 31 study groups of symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis and 31 control groups without any symptom, statistically. We also reviewed CT findings in 15 study groups. The mean rotary deformity in study groups was 6.1 degree(the standard deviation is 5.20), and the mean rotary deformity in control groups was 2.52 degree(the standard deviation is 2.16)(p < 0.01). The rotary deformity can be accompanied with degenerative spondylolisthesis. We may consider the rotary deformity as a cause of symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis in case that any other cause is not detected

[en] Rationale and objective: Small AP diameter of L5 can mimic spondylolisthesis in lumbosacral MRI. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of small L5 mimicking spondylolisthesis in lumbosacral MRI of the patients referred to an imaging center by any symptoms. Association between small anteroposterior diameter of L5 and presence and absence of unilateral or bilateral spondylolysis at L5 were also evaluated. Materials and methods: 2000 lumbosacral MRI of the patients referred to an imaging center for any reasons were evaluated. The posterior step of L5 was measured and the cases with posterior step of more than 2 mm were selected. These cases were evaluated for presence or absence of spondylolysis. Results: Small anteroposterior diameters of L5 were detected in 38 cases (2%), mimicking the spondylolisthesis in lumbosacral MRI. The prevalence of small L5 in lumbosacral MRI of the patients referred by any symptoms was about 2%. In these selected cases, 6 (15.8%) show unilateral spondylolysis and 5 (13.1%) show bilateral spondylolysis. Conclusion: Pseudospondylolisthesis secondary to small AP diameter of L5 has prevalence of about 2% in lumbosacral MRI of cases referred for any reasons and can be overlooked in reporting of LS MRI. There was an association between small anteroposterior diameter of L5 and presence of spondylolysis at L5.