Osteomyelitis

Abstract

Diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment of patients who have an infection are the basic foundations of patient care. Early, appropriate interventions are associated with decreased patient morbidity and mortality. Diagnostic procedures with clinical information and laboratory results are integral in the assessment of inflammatory diseases and the prevention of sepsis. Some of the imaging modalities currently used for the assessment of inflammation include computed tomography, plain radiography, positron emission tomography, technetium Tc 99m bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging, and leukocyte scintigraphy. In the case of patients who exhibit signs of osteomyelitis, it is necessary to understand that acute and chronic conditions are not based on the duration of the disease but on the histopathologic features of the disease. Although several imaging modalities are considered appropriate, there is not one singular procedure that is considered ideal. Rather, it is a combination of procedures and various other clinical factors. This article addresses some of the advantages and disadvantages of the modalities, with a focus on molecular imaging and the assessment of osteomyelitis.

Accuracy of diagnostic imaging modalities for peripheral post-traumatic osteomyelitis – a systematic review of the recent literature

“…The Cochrane Library contained four entries on imaging osteomyelitis; these were all meta-analyses of which two dealt with diabetic feet [29, 30], one with chronic, mostly post-traumatic osteomyelitis [17] and one with osteomyelitis of unspecified aetiology [25]. Screening of the reference lists of these and other relevant articles found in PubMed [8, 9, 15, 18, 31–44] yielded 18 additional studies. After removal of duplicates (n = 1023), 3358 unique publications remained and were screened on title and abstract by two authors.…”

Subacute Metacarpal Osteomyelitis in a Child

“…MRI exploration helps to localize the affection of the bone and provide an objective control of the lesion extent [10,14]. However, X-ray views may underestimate the bone destruction and remain normal until the step of irreversible progression of the infection [15,16].…”

Subacute metacarpal osteomyelitis in a child

“…MRI exploration helps localize the aff ection of the bone and provide an objective view of the lesion extent (10,14). However, x-rays may underestimate bone destruction and remain normal until the irreversible progression of the infection occurs (15,16).…”