title: Osteomyelitis of the skull.
abstract: This retrospective study includes 18 patients who underwent 28 admissions for treatment of osteomyelitis of the skull. Each admission was reviewed separately. Systemic symptoms were rare and signalled the presence of an associated collection of pus. Films of the skull, polytomography and bone scans were all useful in establishing the diagnosis, whereas white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and brain scans were of little value. Complete surgical debridement was found to be of significantly greater value than limited surgical debridement. The surgical results appeared to be improved when surgery was followed by long courses of antibiotics. Each patient who received complete surgical debridement followed by at least six weeks of antibiotic therapy was cured.
mesh_terms: D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000601:surgery*