Table 5.
MRI differentiating features between Brucellar and Tubercular spondylitis.
| Radiological features | Brucellosis of the spine | Tuberculosis of the spine |
|---|---|---|
| Commonest level of involvement | Lumbar spine | Lower thoracic spine |
| Hyperintense signal in T2W images and Hypointense signal in T1W images | Present | Present |
| Abnormal intervertebral disc signal (hyperintensity in fat suppressed T2W images with disc space reduction)33 | Common | Not common |
| Multiple vertebral involvement and Skip lesions | Not common | Common |
| Abscess wall | Thin and irregular abscess wall | Thin and smooth abscess wall |
| Presence of paraspinal abscess/intraosseous abscess | Not common | Frequent |
| Abnormal paraspinal soft tissue signal | Not common | Common |
| Facet joint involvement | Common | Not very common - Only in posterior type of TB |
| Vertebral body collapse/deformation | Focal involvement with no significant collapse or deformation. | Significant erosion, destruction and collapse with kyphosis formation |
| New bone formation | Present | Absent |
| Vertebral osteophyte formation | Present | Absent |