Non-infectious thoracic discitis: A diagnostic and management dilemma. A report of two cases with review of the literature.

Discitis/ Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory process involving an intervertebral disc and the adjacent vertebral bodies. Infection is the most common cause of discitis, which is often spontaneous and hematogenous in origin. However, many noninfectious processes affecting the spine such as pseudarthrosis in ankylosing spondylitis, amyloidosis, destructive spondyloarthropathy of hemodialysis, Modic changes type 1, neuropathic arthropathy, calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate (CPPD) spondyloarthropathy and gout can mimic infectious discitis/ osteomyelitis.