Disc desiccation

Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 24 Apr 2019

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Gaillard F, Bell D, Jones J, et al. Disc desiccation. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 19 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-6184

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-6184

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/6184

rID:

6184

Article created:

3 May 2009, Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.

View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures

Last revised:

24 Apr 2019, Daniel J Bell ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.

View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures

Revisions:

6 times, by 4 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Musculoskeletal, Spine

Tags:

refs, cases

Synonyms:

Desiccation of discs
Disc dehydration
Dehydration of the disc
Disk desiccation
Disk dehydration
Desiccation of disk
Desiccation of disks
Desiccation of disc
Dehydration of the disk
Loss of disc hydration
Loss of disk hydration
Loss of hydration of the disc
Loss of hydration of the disk

Disc desiccation (also known as disc dehydration) is an extremely common degenerative change of intervertebral discs. The incidence climbs with age, and to a large degree a gradual dehydration is a 'normal' part of disc ageing. It results from replacement of the hydrophilic glycosaminoglycans within the nucleus pulposus with fibrocartilage.

Although it is commonly thought that the resultant loss of disc height is due to reduction in nucleus pulposus volume, this has been shown not to be the case. Rather disc height loss is a result of annular bulging and vertebral endplate bowing.

On imaging, the disc loses its high T2 signal, and the horizontal midline low signal cleft is no longer apparent.