Infection and Inflammation of the Musculoskeletal System

Abstract

AbstractSome infectious musculoskeletal disorders, including pyogenic osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, are acute processes for which early diagnosis and prompt treatment are critical, while others, such as tuberculous arthritis, are more insidious. Inflammatory arthritis and chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis are sterile inflammatory disorders with multiple joint and bone involvement. Other types of inflammatory arthritis may be associated with underlying disease, such as hemophilic arthropathy and neuropathic arthritis. Miscellaneous joint disorders, including pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial osteochondromatosis, lipoma arborescens, leukemic arthritis, and synovial vascular malformation, are rare in children but can present with joint pain mimicking inflammatory arthritis. Imaging plays an important role in evaluation of all of these disorders. Plain radiographs are the first step in initial evaluation. Ultrasound exam is useful for evaluation of joint effusion and soft tissue abnormalities. MR imaging offers superior tissue contrast and often requires sedation.KeywordsJuvenile Idiopathic ArthritisSeptic ArthritisBone Marrow EdemaJoint EffusionChronic Recurrent Multifocal OsteomyelitisThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.