In 14 cases of unspecific infectious spondylodiscitis 11 patients underwent MR tomography, 3 of them were followed up. At the acute stage of the disease characteristic MR patterns are revealed. The main symptoms are 1) transdiscal hypointensity of the affected segment in T1-weighted images without differentiation of disk and adjacent vertebral bodies as well as 2) the manifestation of a hyperintense signal of diseased disks, vertebral bodies and paravertebral inflammation on T2-weighted images. A signal void is produced by sclerotic reactions of spongiosa. The formation of intraspinal abscesses and the compression of the spinal cord are clearly outlined by MR. When therapy is successfully applied, signal alterations largely normalize.