Diskospondylitis and other vertebral infections.

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.