Thursday, July 2, 2009

Rugger Jersey Spine

The "rugger jersey" spine refers to sclerotic bands along the superior and inferior vertebral body endplates of the thoracolumbar spine, giving it the appearance of a rugby jersey.

The sclerotic areas reflect accumulation of excess osteoid. Although sclerotic-appearing, these areas are actually poorly mineralized.

The finding is virtually diagnostic of osteosclerosis seen with secondary hyperparathyroidism of chronic renal failure.

The rugger jersey spine can be confused with the appearance of other diseases:
  • Paget disease: The "picture frame" appearance of Paget disease demonstrates thickening of the cortex of the vertebral body on all sides, not just at the at the superior and inferior endplates.
  • osteoporosis: Trabecular thinning causes lucency of the middle vertebral body and relative opacity of the superior and inferior endplates, but you may also see wedging and compression of the vertebral bodies

Reference

Wittenberg A. The rugger jersey spine sign. Radiology. 2004 Feb;230(2):491-2.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.