Clinical outcome in histology(+) and culture(−) and histology(−) casesa
| Histology(+), Culture(−) | Culture(−) | |
|---|---|---|
| Infection | 53 | 30 |
| Confirmed by operation | 13 | 4 |
| Isolation of the causative organism by blood culture | 12 | 5 |
| Improvement after empiric antibiotic treatment | 25 | 19 |
| Aggravation on follow-up MRI | 3 | 1 |
| Noninfection | 11 | 20 |
| Compression fracture | 6 | 7 |
| Degenerative change (Modic type I) | 2 | 3 |
| Hemorrhage by previous trauma | 0 | 2 |
| CML | 0 | 1 |
| Follow-up loss | 1 | 1 |
| Etc | 2 | 6 |
| 64 | 50 |
Note:—Etc. indicates the case that infectious spondylitis was suspected on MRI image, but clinical symptoms were improved without empirical antibiotic treatment; CML, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
↵a For Histology(+), the pathology report was recorded as “consistent with infectious spondylitis, “active or acute inflammation,” “suggestive of osteomyelitis,” and “chronic granulomatous inflammation.” Histology(−) indicates the rest except the histology(+). Culture(+) is identification of the causative organism. Culture(−) is no identification of the causative organism.