J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Aug;31(2):223-228.

Postoperative Changes of Herniated Intervertebral Disc: Normal and Discitis MR Findings

• Lim SJ
• Yoon Y
• Kim KT
• Ryu KN
• Choi WS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To describe normal postoperative MR findings and MR findings of postoperative discitis in patients who underwent operation due to herniated intervertebral disc.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed normal postoperative MR findings and MR findings of discitis in 30 patients(21-61yrs.) (13 cases dignosed as discitis and 17 cases as normal) who previonsly underwent laminectomy and discectomy, or bony fusion. We analyzed signal intensity of end plate and disc, end plate destruction, and enhancement of end plate and disc on T1- and T2-weighted images(WI) of 1.5T MRI.
RESULTS
Among 14 out of 17 patients with no evidence of discitis, 7 patients showed high signal of the posterior portion of disc on T1- and T2-WI and 11 patients revealed enhancement at the same sites. In all 13 patients suspected of having discitis, end plate and disc showed low signal on T1-WI, high signal on T2-WI, heterogeneous enhancement, and irregular destruction of end plate. Meanwhile, 3 cases with no evidence of postoperative discitis clinically who underwent bony fusion showed similiar findings to those of the above 13 patients, except for homogeneous enhancement of end plate and vertebral body.
CONCLUSION
The MR findings of postoperative discitis were low signal on T1-WI, high signal on T2-WI, and heterogeneous enhancement of and plate and disc, and destruction of end plate.

MeSH Terms

Discitis*
Diskectomy
Humans
Intervertebral Disc*
Laminectomy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Retrospective Studies