Diskitis

How is the disease diagnosed?

A doctor may suspect diskitis based on the symptoms and signs above, but diagnosis is often not easy. Blood tests may show signs of infection, but are not enough to make the diagnosis. An x-ray can show the narrowing of disk space and abnormalities in the vertebrae, but not until 2 to 3 weeks after the onset of the disease. Bone scans and special x-rays such as an MRI often help reveal the spread of infection in a given area.