[Nonspecific spondylodiscitis in childhood. New findings about the disease].

Abstract

Nonspecific spondylodiscitis at the child age represents a distinctive disease of intervertebral disc and adjacent subchondral parts of vertebral bodies. Their early diagnostics may be difficult due to latency of radiographic manifestation of the finding and possible mistaking for other pathological conditions, especially tuberculosis spondylitis. The paper demonstrates several cases of the disease which we encountered recently. The authors discuss clinical and X-ray symptoms of the disease with a particular attention to modern methods of visualization, especially computer tomography. Etiopathogenesis of the disease is analyzed and some new knowledge of the disease is presented, differential diagnosis is discussed. In the conclusion attention is paid to early diagnosis of the disease and introduction of proper therapy.