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World J Radiol. Aug 28, 2014; 6(8): 530-537
Published online Aug 28, 2014. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i8.530
Published online Aug 28, 2014. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i8.530
Role of MRI in the diagnosis and treatment of osteomyelitis in pediatric patients
Brian S Pugmire, Randheer Shailam, Michael S Gee, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 01890, United States
Author contributions: Pugmire BS and Shailam R contributed equally to the writing and editing of the manuscript; Gee MS provided editorial input and overall direction.
Correspondence to: Brian S Pugmire, MD, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St. FND-216, Boston, MA 01890, United States. bpugmire@partners.org
Telephone: +1-617-7244255 Fax: +1-617-7263077
Received: February 11, 2014
Revised: April 8, 2014
Accepted: July 18, 2014
Published online: August 28, 2014
Revised: April 8, 2014
Accepted: July 18, 2014
Published online: August 28, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Osteomyelitis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Plain radiography and radionuclide bone scintigraphy, which have been the traditional imaging modalities for detecting osteomyelitis, both have significant limitations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly relied upon for detecting osteomyelitis in children, due to its superior soft tissue contrast for detecting early disease and extraosseous complication, as well as its lack of ionizing radiation exposure to patients. This article focuses on basic and advanced MRI techniques for evaluating osteomyelitis, as well as MRI imaging features of disease and their impact on clinical management.