Imagistic and histopathologic concordances in degenerative lesions of intervertebral disks.

Lumbar disk lesions in 47 cases were initially diagnosed using MRI investigation, then, after surgery, biological and histopathological aspects of intervertebral disks were revealed. Pieces from intervertebral disks were used for electron microscopy studies in order to determine collagen in the components of the intervertebral disk. The aim of the present study was to highlight the correspondence between the MRI aspect in cases with clinically manifest lumbar hernia, staged according to MRI Modic classification, and the histopathological aspect in patients with surgical interventions on the intervertebral disks. 4/5 of the analyzed disks had advanced forms of degenerescence of the intervertebral disks: hyalinized disk cartilage ± intradiskal calcification or ossification zones, chronic inflammatory infiltrate at the disk cartilage level. Electron microscopy studies made on disk fragments obtained by discectomy revealed quantitative and qualitative changes of all types of collagen at the level of the three anatomical structures of the intervertebral disks, which correspond to the MRI changes.