Osteomyelitis

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Osteomyelitis

Skeleton

X-ray

• Pain in the bone
• Local swelling, redness, and warmth
• Fever
• Nausea
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
• Drainage of pus through the skin (in chronic osteomyelitis)

• Excessive sweating
• Chills
• Low back pain
• Swelling of the ankles, feet, and legs

A physical examination shows bone tenderness and possibly swelling and redness.

Tests may include:

• Bone scan
• Blood cultures
• MRI
• Needle aspiration of the area around affected bones
• Bone lesion biopsy

• Joint x-ray
• Hand x-ray
• Extremity x-ray
• Bone x-ray
• ALP (alkaline phosphatase) isoenzyme
• ALP

Review Date: 08/15/2006
Reviewed By: Hilary M. Babcock, M.D., Medical Director of Occupational Infection Control, Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's Hospitals; Instructor of Medicine, Infectious Disease Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.