- Etiology: Staphylococcus aureus most common, subacute osteomyelitis which can persist for years before converting to frank osteomyelitis and resulting in a Brodie abscess
- Imaging: radiolucent center with reactive sclerosis + surrounding granulation tissue, lucent channel extending to physis is pathognomonic, sclerotic rim on radiograph fades away
- MRI: penumbra sign – central abscess fluid, enhancing high signal granulation tissue (penumbra), very low signal sclerotic rim of bone sclerosis (dark on all MRI sequences), low signal peri-lesional marrow edema
- Clinical: may be afebrile with normal inflammatory marker levels, may present with draining abscess
Radiology Cases of Subacute Osteomyelitis with Brodie Abscess
