CT imaging features of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition involving spine

Abstract

PurposeTo explore the computed tomography (CT) imaging features of the spine involved by calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease (CPPD-CDD) in order to improve the understanding of this disease. Materials and methodsAmong 79 patients diagnosed with CPPD-CDD in our hospital, 51 patients with spinal involvement were selected, 9 patients without CT examination were excluded, and 42 patients were finally included as research objects. The CT images of the 42 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The analysis contents mainly included the distribution of lesions and the characteristic imaging findings of intervertebral disc, posterior ligament complex, sacroiliac joint and atlantoaxial joint. ResultsIn this paper, 42 patients with 11 males and 31 females were studied. The onset age ranged from 62 to 95 years. There were 264 lesions in 42 patients with spinal involvement, including 177 lumbar vertebrae, 43 cervical vertebrae, 27 thoracic vertebrae and 17 sacroiliac joints (14 bilateral and 3 unilateral). Characteristic imaging findings include: disc calcification (129 cases), posterior ligament complex calcification (107 cases), sacroiliac articular cartilage calcification (17 cases), and ligaments around the odontoid process calcification (11 cases). ConclusionsThe characteristic images of CPPD-CDD involving the spine are calcification of intervertebral disc, posterior ligament complex, sacroiliac joint surface and ligaments around odontoid process, and the lesions are frequent and coexisting, so it should be differentiated from gout, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, ossification of ligamentum flavum, basic calcium phosphate and infectious spondylodiscitis.