[Diagnostic errors in hematogenic osteomyelitis of the pelvic bones]

The authors have analysed the caused of frequent diagnostic errors in the primary diagnosis which reach 51.2% in 41 patients with hematogenic osteomyelitis of the pelvis. A high percentage of diagnostic errors is caused by more frequent occurrence of hematogenic osteomyelitis of the pelvis in the adults aged 20 to 60 and older who are "not expected" to have hematogenic osteomyelitis which is considered to be a disease characteristic of children and adolescents, by an inadequacy between the provoking etiologic factor and the subsequent development of the disease and by disguise of hematogenic osteomyelitis of the pelvis with symptoms of other frequently occurring diseases. The character of the diagnostic errors is clearly linked with the localization of the process in the bones of the pelvis.