No abstract

Reliance on MR imaging alone may lead to misdiagnosis. As the osteoid osteoma may be difficult to identify and the MR features easily misinterpreted, optimisation of MR technique is crucial in reducing the risk of missing the diagnosis. Unexplained areas of bone marrow oedema in particular require further imaging (scintigraphy and CT) to exclude an osteoid osteoma.

Paget's disease (PD) is a chronic metabolically active bone disease, characterized by a disturbance in bone modelling and remodelling due to an increase in osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. The vertebra is the second most commonly affected site. This article reviews the various spinal pathomechanisms and osseous dynamics involved in producing the varied imaging appearances and their clinical relevance. Advanced imaging of osseous, articular and bone marrow manifestations of PD in all the vertebral components are presented. Pagetic changes often result in clinical symptoms including back pain, spinal stenosis and neural dysfunction. Various pathological complications due to PD involvement result in these clinical symptoms. Recognition of the imaging manifestations of spinal PD and the potential complications that cause the clinical symptoms enables accurate assessment of patients prior to appropriate management.

Spinal infection is a significant cause of morbidity. Despite advances in antibiotic treatment regimens, the incidence is not decreasing due at least in part to an increase in 'at-risk' populations, namely the elderly and the immunocompromised. Prompt diagnosis is greatly facilitated by early and appropriate imaging techniques together with microbiological assessment following culture from blood, needle aspirate and biopsy material. This article gives an overview of imaging of spinal infection with an emphasis on MR imaging, which has greatly contributed to early diagnosis, thus allowing implementation of timely appropriate treatment.

Radiofrequency ablation appears to be a safe and effective alternative to surgical treatment with a low risk of recurrence and complications for most chondroblastomas. RF ablation is probably superior to surgery when chondroblastomas are small (less than 2.5 cm) with an intact bony margin with subchondral bone and in areas of difficult surgical access.