Radiographic observation for tuberculous spondylitis

Radiographic observation of 152 cases of tuberculous spondylitis selected from total 194 cases of tuberculous arthritis during the past 6 years and 8 months, was carried out to study. 1. The youngest one was 15 months old male infant of active tuberculous spondylitis. The active tuberculous spondylitis under 10 years of age were 50 percent (28 cases). 2. The ratio of male to female was 1.5:1 3. The most common site of involvement was the lumbar spine which was 44.1 percent of the total tuberculous spondylitis. The next were thoracic spine (33.6%), and thoraco-lumber spine (13.1%). 4. The most common roentgenographic findings are bony destructions of the vertebral bodies which were 97.4 percent. The next were joint space narrowing (93.4%), osteoporosis (79.6%), kyphosis (34.2%), fusion deformity of the vertebral body (25.7%), and cold abscess shadow (16.4%). 5. The most of patients (88.8%) had or have been pulmonary tuberculous lesions. 6. In annual incidence, the number of patients were not changed greatly