Symptoms n signs of osteomyelitis are:
Pain in the bone
Local swelling, redness, and warmth
Fever
Nausea
General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
Drainage of pus through the skin (in chronic osteomyelitis)
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Excessive sweating
Chills
Low back pain
Swelling of the ankles, feet, and legs
Signs and tests
A physical examination shows bone tenderness and possibly swelling and redness.
A bone scan indicates infected bone.
A CBC shows elevated white blood cell count.
The ESR is elevated.
Blood cultures may help identify the causative organism.
An MRI and a needle aspiration of the area around infected bones for culture may be done.
A bone lesion biopsy and culture may be positive for the organism.
A skin lesion with a sinus tract (the lesion “tunnels” under the tissues) may yield drainage of pus for culture.
This disease may alter the results of the following tests:
Joint x-ray
Hand x-ray
Extremity x-ray
Bone x-ray
ALP (alkaline phosphatase) isoenzyme
ALP