title: Diskospondylitis and other vertebral infections.
abstract: This article discusses infections of the spine, including diskospondylitis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and vertebral physitis. Spinal pain is the most common clinical sign. Plain radiography is usually diagnostic; computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are useful when the diagnosis is unclear. Serology for Brucella canis and cultures of blood and urine are important in identifying the cause. Appropriate antibiotic therapy is successful in the majority of cases of bacterial spinal infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. wthomas@utk.edu
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D009192:Myelography / Q000662:veterinary; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents