title: Septic arthritis of a lumbar facet joint: report of a case with early MRI findings.
abstract: A 56-year-old man was hospitalized with a 2-day history of back pain and fever. A magnetic resonance (MR) scan taken on admission showed a facet joint effusion and soft-tissue abnormality posterior to the joint. Follow-up MR imaging confirmed the facet joint destruction and periarticular abscess. A biopsy specimen grew Staphylococcus aureus. MR imaging is helpful in detecting this rare infection in the earliest phase of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saotome
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications*