Acute osteomyelitis, septic arthritis and discitis: differences between neonates and older children

A C Offiah

doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2006.07.016

Acute osteomyelitis, septic arthritis and discitis: differences between neonates and older children

Eur J Radiol. 2006 Nov;60(2):221-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2006.07.016. Epub 2006 Sep 12.

Author

A C Offiah¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, UK. offiaa@gosh.nhs.uk

PMID: 16971078
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2006.07.016

Abstract

There are aetiological, clinical, radiological and therapeutic differences between musculoskeletal infection in the neonate (and infant) and in older children and adults. Due to the anatomy and blood supply in neonates, osteomyelitis often co-exists with septic arthritis. Discitis is more common in infants whereas vertebral body infection is more common in adults. This review article discusses the important clinical and radiological differences that in the past have led many authors to consider neonatal osteomyelitis a separate entity from osteomyelitis in the older child.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Age Factors
Arthritis, Infectious / diagnosis*
Arthritis, Infectious / microbiology
Arthritis, Infectious / pathology
Arthritis, Infectious / physiopathology
Child
Child, Preschool
Discitis / diagnosis*
Discitis / microbiology
Discitis / pathology
Discitis / physiopathology
Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / complications
Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / complications
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Osteomyelitis / diagnosis*
Osteomyelitis / microbiology
Osteomyelitis / pathology
Osteomyelitis / physiopathology
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
Ultrasonography, Interventional*