Abstract：【Objective】To investigate the clinical value of MRI technique in early diagnosis of postoperative intervertebral space infection in patients with lumbar disc herniation.【Methods】The clinical data of 86 patients with intervertebral space infection after lumbar disc herniation in our hospital from January 2014 to January 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. All the patients were examined by MRI and given active treatment after diagnosis. The results of MRI diagnosis were analyzed. The changes of WBC, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the level of CRP, interleukin-6 (IL-6) were observed and compared before and after treatment.【Results】Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the main pathogens in 86 patients with intervertebral space infection. Most of the infection sites of the patients were in L4/5 or L5/S1 intervertebral space. The lesions showed different degree of disc fragmentation, becoming smaller, disappeared and irregular margin. The results of MRI showed that the intervertebral disc space lost its normal shape and signal intensity, including long T1 low signal in 77 cases, T1 signal in 9 cases, long T2 high signal in 82 cases, short T2 low signal in 4 cases. The vertebral cartilage endplate and adjacent cancellous bone in the intervertebral disc space showed varying degrees of damage.There were no obvious changes or slight wedge-shaped changes in the vertebrae and no kyphosis in the spine. Six months after operation, the clinical symptoms of 63 patients with intervertebral space infection were completely disappeared (73.26%), and the remaining 23 patients still had mild intermittent low back pain. The levels of WBC, ESR and CRP, IL-6 in all patients were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】MRI can clearly display the site of infection in patients with intervertebral space infection after lumbar disc herniation. It is of great significance for the early diagnosis and treatment of intervertebral space infection.
吕旭光. MRI对腰椎间盘突出髓核摘除术后椎间隙感染的早期诊断价值[J]. 医学临床研究, 2018, 35(10): 1926-1928.
LU Yao-guang. Value of MRI in the Early Diagnosis of Postoperative Intervertebral Space Infection in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, 2018, 35(10): 1926-1928.
2018, Vol. 35 
