TB of the lumbar spine: lateral x-ray of the spine

In this lateral view, there is loss of the disc space between the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies, associated with endplate destruction. (The endplate is the upper or lower cortex of a vertebral body, ie. the part which abuts the disc.) There is also loss of the normal curve of the spine. In a tropical environment, tuberculosis of the spine is by far the commonest cause of this appearance. Staphylococcus aureus and lymphoma must also be considered in the differential diagnosis. See record number W0045336 for the anteroposterior view in this patient.