Original Article
Brodie’s abscess revisited
Authors:
P R Kornaat ,
Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
M Camerlinck,
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Antwerp UZA, Antwerp, Belgium
Department of Radiology, AZ Sint-Maarten, Duffel-Mechelen, Belgium.
F M Vanhoenacker,
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Antwerp UZA, Antwerp, Belgium
Department of Radiology, AZ Sint-Maarten, Duffel-Mechelen, Belgium
G De Praeter,
Department of Radiology, AZ Sint-Maarten, Duffel-Mechelen, Belgium
H M Kroon
Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
Abstract
Radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis of a Brodie’s abscess, as can be difficult for a clinician to identify the disease using clinical information alone. A Brodie’s abscess is clinically difficult to diagnose because patients typically have mild local symptoms, few or no constitutional symptoms, and near normal laboratory values. Furthermore, a Brodie’s abscess may mimic various benign and malignant conditions, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The most frequently made incorrect diagnosis is that of a primary bone tumor. The present pictorial review summarizes imaging clues to the diagnosis of a Brodie’s abscess, such as the serpentine sign on conventional radiographs and the penumbra sign seen on Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. A Brodie’s abscess is difficult to diagnose, however, once diagnosed, it is a curable disease with a 100% cure rate.
How to Cite:
Kornaat PR, Camerlinck M, Vanhoenacker FM, De Praeter G, Kroon HM. Brodie’s abscess revisited. Journal of the Belgian Society of Radiology. 2010;93(2):81–6. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/jbr-btr.145
Published on
06 Feb 2010.
Peer Reviewed
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