Sonographic diagnosis of spondylodiscitis in a young child

• Published in: Pediatric radiology Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 1049 - 1052
• Main Authors: Soudack, Michalle, Shimoni, Hadar-Yafit, Plotkin, Simyon, Jacobson, Jeffrey M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bacterial infections; Blood; Case Report; Case reports; Children & youth; Diagnosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Discitis; Discitis - diagnostic imaging; Disease; Epidural; Female; Gait; Humans; Imaging; Infant; Infections; Intervertebral discs; Laboratories; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neuroradiology; Nuclear Medicine; Oncology; Osteomyelitis; Pediatrics; Radiation; Radiology; Spondylodiscitis; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography - methods; Ultrasound; Vertebrae; Diagnostic imaging; Infections; Children; Spine; Spondylodiscitis; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 1432-1998; 0301-0449; 1432-1998
• DOI: 10.1007/s00247-024-05920-w

Sonographic diagnosis of spondylodiscitis is described in a 21-month-old girl who presented with altered gait. Spondylodiscitis, also referred to as discitis-osteomyelitis, is an infection of the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae. The imaging modality of choice is spinal magnetic resonance imaging. Our case is the first description in the English language of the sonographic diagnosis of spondylodiscitis. Pediatric radiologists and sonographers should be acquainted with its features, for both incidental and intentional diagnosis.