Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging test that is often used in patients with a suspected bone infection in their foot. MRI findings may impact how these patients are treated; thus, it is important to understand the significance of various MRI findings. This study compared different patterns of MRI findings in these patients to their clinical outcomes. Patients with classic features of bone infection on MRI had the worst outcomes, whereas patients without them sometimes healed.

The yearly incidence of native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) is increasing. In 2013 the prevalence of NVO in the USA was 5.4 cases per 100 000. Delays in the diagnosis of NVO remain common, in part due to the insidious nature of the infection and its related symptoms. The mean time between the onset of symptoms to diagnosis of NVO is 45.5 d. We herein review available and novel diagnostic modalities at the disposal of healthcare providers to reach an accurate and timely diagnosis of NVO.

We report the treatment of bone infection in a patient with a rare disease which causes overgrowth of the limb. Careful assessment of the scans showed that the infection was in some new bone which had formed in the soft tissues after a minor injury to the leg and not in one of the major bones. This made treatment much easier with a successful outcome.