Thirty-seven patients undergoing hemodialysis were examined for the presence of spinal disease. Lateral vertebral radiographs were helpful. Vertebral erosion was the most evident features in cervical spine. Nineteen patients (51.4%) had vertebral erosion. Five patients (13.5%) showed disc-space narrowing with vertebral erosion which was diagnozed as destructive spondyloarthropathy (DSA). In thoracic and lumbar spine, osteoarthritis was the most evident features.
Blood chemistry such as BUN, CRE, ALP, and Ca, was not important for vertebral changes. Patients under longer-termed hemodialysis tend to have abnormalities in the spine on X-ray.
Frequently, the patients with with hemodialysis complaint neck pain. But X-ray findings were not well correlated with stage of symptom. It is necessary to observe X-ray findings frequently in spine, especially cervical spine, because of such reason.
