title: Do not underestimate your patient's back pain.
abstract: Back pain is a common complaint in the elderly population which is often attributed to osteoarthritis or vertebral collapse secondary to osteoporosis. The following case reports describe an easily-missed cause of back pain which is becoming increasingly important and thus should be actively sought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Tal-Qroqq, Malta.
authors.forename: Caroline J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Magri
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vella
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferry
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001416:Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D015299:Discitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents