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. 2023 Apr 18;85(5):1420-1424.
doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000000674. eCollection 2023 May.

Treating thoracic-lumbar Andersson lesion in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: case series

Heng Zhang  1 , Jianhua Hu  2 , Chao Zhang  2 , Zhao Yang  2 , Ming Gao  2 , Hongbin Zhao  3
Affiliations

Treating thoracic-lumbar Andersson lesion in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: case series

Heng Zhang et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Abstract

To study the diagnosis and surgical treatment of thoracic-lumbar Andersson lesions among patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Method: We retrospectively collected data from all patients with spine Andersson lesions from 2010 to 2020 and follow-up patients who received surgical treatment. One of the patients was misdiagnosed as spinal tuberculosis but was diagnosed with Andersson lesion after reviewing the patient's postoperative data.

Results: There were 11 patients with Andersson lesions, three females and eight males. Four patients received conservative treatment, and six patients received posterior long-segment pedicle screw fixation, one patient received anterior lumbar fusion. One patient occurred neurologic impairment. All other patients recovered well and spine pain disappeared. There was no surgical infection.

Conclusion: Andersson lesions among patients with ankylosing spondylitis could be treated with posterior long-segment pedicle screw fixation. And it should be differentiated between spine infection and spine tuberculosis.

Keywords: Andersson lesion; ankylosing spondylitis; case series; pedicle screw fixation and spine fusion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A 59-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of minor lumbar spinal trauma and aggravated lumbar pain and spinal deformity 6 months later. (A, B) Radiograph shows the destruction of an intervertebral disc and kyphosis deformity in thoracic 12 and lumbar 1 segments. (C, D) Computed tomography examination show continuous destruction of the anterior column of the spine, and cross-sectional views show reactive hyperplasia of the vertebral appendage. (E) MRI also shows destruction of the anterior and middle column of the spine but no paravertebral abscess. (E—G) The radiograph film showed good internal fixation after the operation, and the spinal curve recovered well.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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