What Is Osteomyelitis?
6. Diagnosis
Following a physical examination to assess the area of pain, diagnosis of osteomyelitis may begin with a blood test or blood culture. The former looks for signs of infection, such as an elevated level of disease-fighting white blood cells. The latter detects bacteria in the bloodstream and can determine the pathogen involved.
Imaging exams such as MRI or X-ray can identify damage to the bone due to osteomyelitis. Sometimes your doctor performs a procedure to take a sample of tissue from the infected bone. The sample is then sent to a lab and tested for the presence of foreign organisms. This test is called a biopsy.
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