Brodie's abscess revisited

Radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis of a Brodie's abscess, as can be difficult for a clinician to identify the disease using clinical information alone. A Brodie's abscess is clinically difficult to diagnose because patients typically have mild local symptoms, few or no constitutional symptoms, and near normal laboratory values. Furthermore, a Brodie's abscess may mimic various benign and malignant conditions, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The most frequently made incorrect diagnosis is that of a primary bone tumor. The present pictorial review summarizes imaging clues to the diagnosis of a Brodie's abscess, such as the serpentine sign on conventional radiographs and the penumbra sign seen on Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. A Brodie's abscess is difficult to diagnose, however, once diagnosed, it is a curable disease with a 100% cure rate.