CONTRIBUTION OF IMAGING IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF POTT'S DISEASE IN THE MEDICAL IMAGING DEPARTMENT OF THE CHU Pr.BOCAR SIDY SALLOF KATI

*AbstractIntroduction: Pott's disease is an infectious spondylodiscitis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Imaging is essential in its management.Theobjective was toto study the contribution of imaging in the diagnosis of Pott's disease at the imaging department of the CHU Pr. BSS in Kati.Patients and Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional, retrospective and prospective study (from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2024), aperiod of 5 years. A 16-slice CT scanner and a 1.5 Tesla MRI were used for the study.It concernedall patients referred to the medical imaging departmentof the CHU Pr BSS in Kati for CT and/or MRI of the spine in whom the diagnosis of Pott's disease was retained.Results: we collected 73 cases out of 13778 CT/MRI examinations of the spine, representing a frequency of 0.52%.The mean age of the patients was39.8 ± 16.85 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.6. Spinal pain was the main reason for CT/MRI examinations (97.3%). CT was the most frequentlyperformed radiological examination (76.7%). The lumbar region was the most common location (45.2%). Mirror erosion was the most frequently observedfinding on CT and/or MRI (75.3%). Paravertebral abscess was the main complication observed (34.2%). Associated lesions were degenerative in58.5% of cases.Conclusion: Pot's disease is a rare condition in our region. It has affected individuals of all ages, with a male predominance. Imaging has allowed forassessment of the lesions and guided treatment.