Computed tomography of a tuberculous paravertebral abscess.

Spinal tuberculosis with extensive abscess formation in a 5-year-old girl of Asian origin is reported. The role of CT in the preoperative visualisation of the different compartments of the lesion, including extra- and intraspinal extension, is discussed. At present, CT seems to be the method of choice in the preoperative study of infectious spinal and paraspinal processes.