Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Infective Vertebral Lesions

Abstract

Background: Infective vertebral lesions usually involve the vertebral column, including the bone, intervertebral disk and paravertebral soft tissues. Variable imaging characteristics in conjunction with clinical findings can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. MRI is a powerful imaging tool that can be help to evaluate spinal pathology specially infection. Typical MRI findings of infective vertebral disease are vertebral endplate destruction, bone marrow and intervertebral disc signal intensity changes and para vertebral soft tissue involvement. Objective: This study was aimed to assess whether the MRI can different the in differentiate the invective vertebral lesions from benign or malignant Tumors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 52 clinically suspected patients of infective vertebral lesions to establish diagnostic accuracy of MRI. The validity of MRI diagnosis for infective vertebral lesion was compared against CT-guided fine needle aspiration cytological (FNAC) diagnosis. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPVs and NPVs) and finally diagnostic accuracy of MRI were calculated by comparing the MRI diagnoses with those of fine needle aspiration cytological diagnosis of vertebral lesions. Finally the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MRI diagnosis for infective vertebral lesion were 95.6%, 85.7%, 97.7% and 75.0% respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 94.2%. Conclusion: Finding of this study suggested that MRI should be considered as the imaging modality of choice for patients with suspected infective vertebral lesions. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2020; 46(3): 233-239