J Korean Soc Spine Surg.  2019 Jun;26(2):56-62. 10.4184/jkss.2019.26.2.56.

Prevalence of Thoracic Scoliosis in Koreans Using Simple Chest Radiography

• Chang DG
• Kim GU
• Suk SI
• Lim DJ
• Oh IT
• Nam KY
• Kim JH
• Kim YH
• Ha KY

• KMID: 2451314
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4184/jkss.2019.26.2.56

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVES
To provide reference data for the study and treatment of thoracic scoliosis. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: There have been no reports on the prevalence of thoracic scoliosis in Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From August 2011 to October 2012, radiographs of patients under 80 years of age who underwent routine chest radiographs were retrospectively reviewed. Based on their age when the chest radiographs were obtained, the patients were divided into 8 groups. The prevalence and angle of the curve of thoracic scoliosis were investigated in each age group, and the prevalence of thoracic scoliosis according to sex, the direction of the curve, number of vertebrae in the major curve, the location and rotation of the apical vertebrae, and osteophyte location were examined.
RESULTS
The prevalence of thoracic scoliosis was 2.4% (621 patients), and female patients (3.0%, 375 of 12471) showed a higher prevalence than male patients (1.8%, 246 of 13654) (p<0.001). Right curvature was present in 445 patients and left curvature in 176 patients. In each age group, the prevalence and degree of thoracic scoliosis were 1.1% (14.2°±3.2°), 2.3% (17.4°±7.7°), 2.5% (17.0°±8.9°), 1.9% (15.8°±5.9°), 1.3% (15.5°±6.6°), 2.1% (18.0°±13.6°), 2.9% (14.3°±3.6°), and 6.1% (16.2°±4.8°), respectively. The mean curvature in all scoliosis patients was 16.0°±7.0°. The angle of the curve was significantly different by sex (15.4°±7.1° for males, 16.8°±7.6° for females). The average curve angle of patients with thoracic scoliosis was 16.0°±7.0°, among whom it was 10°-20° in 533 patients, 20°-30° in 64, 30°-40° in 11, and over 40° in 13.
CONCLUSIONS
This study could be used as a reference point for the study and treatment of thoracic scoliosis.

Keyword

Scoliosis; Thoracic vertebrae; Prevalence

MeSH Terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Korea
Male
Osteophyte
Prevalence*
Radiography*
Radiography, Thoracic
Retrospective Studies
Scoliosis*
Spine
Thoracic Vertebrae
Thorax*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Flow diagram of enrollment of the study participants.

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  Fig. 2. A chest radiograph of a 69-year-old man revealed a focal nodular opacity in the right upper lobe and right costophrenic angle blunting. In addition, thoracolumbar scoliosis was also observed on the chest radiograph, and the patient was ultimately excluded from this study.

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  Fig. 3. A 22-year-old woman presented with thoracic scoliosis with a Cobb angle of 51.6° from T6 to T12 on her chest radiograph.

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