Pyogenic sacroiliitis, the missed diagnosis?

Pyogenic sacroiliitis is considered to be an uncommon infection, which is often diagnosed late because of poor localization of symptoms and normal plain radiographs at presentation. Nine cases aged between 20 months and 14 years who presented with sacroiliitis over a 7 year period are reviewed retrospectively. Isotope bone scanning is a useful technique in establishing early diagnosis and its relationship to other diagnostic imaging modalities is discussed. By routinely obtaining views of the entire pelvis in children presenting with hip pain and a limp, pyogenic sacroiliitis may be detected more frequently.