Table 1. MRI Protocols and Their Efficacies for Evaluating Spondylodiscitis.

Protocol	Efficacies
Fat suppression sequence	Applied to T2WI & post-gadolinium T1WI
	Improves contrast between hyperemic osseous or soft tissue components and surrounding normal structures -improves conspicuity of infected areas
T1WI	Edema-type - hypointensity of bone marrow
	Cortical change of endplates
T2WI/STIR	Edema-type - hyperintensity of bone marrow
	Disc involvement - hyperintensity (fluid-like signal) of disc, loss of normal intranuclear cleft
	Involved paraspinal soft tissues - hyperintensity
	Frank abscess - hyperintense fluid collection
Contrast enhancement	Edema-type - bone marrow enhancement
	Disc involvement - variable enhancement pattern of disc
	Involved paraspinal or epidural inflammatory tissues - diffuse enhancement (phlegmon)
	Frank abscess - peripheral rim enhancement
PDWI	May be helpful for visualizing epidural extension

PDWI = proton-density weighted imaging, STIR = short-tau inversion recovery, T1WI = T1-weighted imaging, T2WI = T2-weighted imaging