title: Atypical Infections versus Inflammatory Conditions of the Hand: The Role of Imaging in Diagnosis.
abstract: Atypical infections may manifest in the setting of low clinical suspicion and, because of some similarity to other inflammatory conditions regarding their clinical and imaging findings, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is not infrequent. The latter may lead to elevated risk of severe bone and joint destruction, and higher morbidity. This review addresses the challenging subject of discussing the imaging characteristics of atypical infections and a variety of inflammatory conditions of the hand, and emphasizes the key points that assist in the differentiation of the two broad clinical categories of infections versus inflammatory causes.
authors.affiliation: Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom; and Dallas, Texas From the Department of Radiology, Victoria Hospital, NHS Fife; and the Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soldatos
authors.forename: Hythem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sammer
authors.forename: Avneesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chhabra
mesh_terms: D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012380:Role; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology