Childhood discitis in a regional children’s hospital

Abstract

Childhood discitis is rare, can be difficult to diagnose and it is unclear whether it is an infective or simply an inflammatory process. A departmental database search of 46 434 patients identified 12 cases from 1990-2008. The mean time to diagnosis from onset was 22 days. The children usually present with altered gait, a normal infection screen (temperature, white cell count, C-reactive protein, blood cultures) and radiographic loss of intervertebral disc height. Antibiotics were given in 11 cases and but no immobilization was used. Symptoms resolved by a mean of 6.5 weeks with no recurrence. This study highlights the unusual features of this rare condition which should be confirmed with MRI scanning.