Diskitis Overview
Learn About Diskitis
Diskitis is swelling (inflammation) and irritation of the space between the bones of the spine (intervertebral disk space).
Disk inflammation
Diskitis is an uncommon condition. It is usually seen in children younger than 10 years and in adults around 50 years of age. Men are more often affected than women.
Diskitis can be caused by an infection due to bacteria or a virus. It can also be caused by inflammation, such as from autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks certain cells in the body.
Disks in the neck and low back are most commonly affected.
Symptoms may include any of the following:
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain
- Difficulty getting up and standing
- Fever (typically 102°F or 38.9°C or lower)
- Increased curvature of the back
- Irritability
- Neck pain
- Sweating at night
- Recent flu-like symptoms
- Refusal to sit up, stand, or walk (younger child)
- Stiffness in back
The goal is to treat the cause of the inflammation or infection and reduce pain. Treatment may involve any of the following:
- Antibiotics if there is an infection caused by bacteria
- Anti-inflammatory medicines if the cause is an autoimmune disease
- Pain medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Bed rest or a brace to keep the back from moving
- Surgery if other methods don't work
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
John Birkedal is an Orthopedics provider in Clemmons, North Carolina. Dr. Birkedal and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diskitis. His top areas of expertise are Scoliosis, Spinal Stenosis, Sciatica, Laminectomy, and Microdiscectomy. Dr. Birkedal is currently accepting new patients.
Premier Spinal Surgery
Phillip Horne is an Orthopedics provider in Cary, North Carolina. Dr. Horne has been practicing medicine for over 16 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diskitis. His top areas of expertise are Spondylolisthesis, Sciatica, Scoliosis, Herniated Disc Surgery, and Cervical Disc Surgery. Dr. Horne is currently accepting new patients.
Duke Health Integrated Practice Inc
Melissa Erickson is an Orthopedics provider in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Erickson and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diskitis. Her top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Klippel-Feil Syndrome, Cervical Spondylosis, Herniated Disc Surgery, and Cervical Disc Surgery. Dr. Erickson is currently accepting new patients.
Children with an infection should fully recover after treatment. In rare cases, chronic back pain persists.
In cases of autoimmune disease, the outcome depends on the underlying condition. These are often chronic illnesses that need long-term medical care.
Complications may include:
- Persistent back pain (rare)
- Side effects of medicines
- Worsening pain with numbness and weakness in your limbs
- Formation of abscess in or near the spine
Contact your provider if you or your child has back pain that does not go away, or problems with standing and walking that seem unusual for the child's age.
Summary: Initial oral antibiotic treatment for children and adolescents with uncomplicated bone and joint infections (BJI) has been found non-inferior to initial IV antibiotics in one randomized controlled trial (RCT) (Bybeck Nielsen et al., 2024). The real-world effectiveness of initial oral antibiotics for children and adolescents with BJI is unclear. This nationwide, prospective, multicenter, real-world...
Summary: The aim of this observational study was to retrospectively analyze the osteoarticular infections caused by Candida spp. in adult patients in Turkey during the last decade and to determine the distribution of causative agents, demographic data, risk factors, clinical, radiological and laboratory findings. It was also aimed to compare treated and untreated cases and to reveal the factors influencing...
Published Date: August 27, 2024
Published By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Mathew R, Hong DK. Diskitis. In: Long SS, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 77.
Williams KD. Infections and tumors of the spine. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 42.