Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Congenital, Education, Conventional radiography, MR, CT, Neuroradiology spine, Musculoskeletal spine, Bones
Authors:
A. U. Desai, S. Saha, G. Nussbaum, R. Houghton; London/UK
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2012/C-0469
Background
Scoliosis (Greek word skoliōsis meaning "crooked") is a deformity of the spine defined by lateral curvature of more than ten degrees and rotation of the vertebrae.
The causes of scoliosis vary but can be broadly classified into idiopathic,
congenital,
neuromuscular,
degenerative and pathological.
The natural history of this condition is related to aetiology and the age of presentation and this usually determines the treatment.
Initial evaluation of scoliosis includes a thorough patient history,
physical examination and standing coronal radiographs,
which are used conventionally to measure the Cobb angle.
Recent advances in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have not only led to the accurate detection of any underlying abnormalities,
but also provide better understanding of the three dimensional nature of scoliosis.