Periostitis is an inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the bones. A characteristic symptom of periostitis is a sudden, rapidly increasing and very severe bone pain that cannot be relieved with commonly available painkillers. What are the causes and other symptoms of periostitis? What is the treatment?
Periostitisis an inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the bones. The periosteum consists of two layers: fibrous, which is abundantly vascularized and innervated, and the reproductive layer, which is rich in cells involved in the formation of bone tissue. The periosteum has important functions - it protects the bone from direct injuries, nourishes it (blood vessels passing through the periosteum penetrate the bone tissue). In addition, the periosteum has a regenerative function - it takes part in the process of bone fusion in the event of its fracture (then some of the periosteum cells transform into osteogenic cells, thanks to which the fragments heal better), and also stimulates the bone to grow during puberty. A similar function is performed by the periodontium - the tissue that fills the space between the bone wall of the socket and the tooth root. For this reason, periodontitis may be mistakenly called periostitis.
Periostitis - causes
Acute periostitis may result from trauma or the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms from nearby inflammatory foci (e.g. osteomyelitis) to the periosteum. This happens in the case ofperiostitis (periodontitis) of the tooth , which may be caused by dead tooth pulp, poorly performed root canal treatment, caries, cavities resulting from tooth wear or a damaged tooth root.
In turn, chronic periostitis may be the result of the harmful effects of ionizing radiation or phosphorus poisoning.
There is also chronic inflammation of the periosteum of long bones, which together with finger stickiness and arthritis make up the symptom complex of hypertrophic osteoarthritis. It is a disease that involves abnormal growth of skin and bones, and mainly affects the distal parts of the limbs - usually the distal base of the tibia, bones in the forearm, wrists and feet. This disease is most often a consequence of lesions within the cagechest (especially non-small cell lung cancer).
In turn, chronic periostitis affecting infants and related to the epiphyses of long bones is called the Caffey-Silverman syndrome.
Periostitis - symptoms
- very strong, persistent, promising bone pain. Pain usually comes on suddenly and builds up quickly
- swelling on the inflamed bone / tooth
- toothache appears with periostitis, as well as a problem with opening the mouth, and thus - with talking, eating and drinking
- there may also be a headache, general malaise and increased temperature
Periostitis - diagnosis
If periostitis is suspected, an X-ray of the bone / tooth is performed.
Periostitis - treatment
The patient is given antibiotics to eliminate inflammation. In some cases, surgery may be necessary. In the case of periostitis, removal may be the solution. Otherwise, there may be complications in the form of tooth abscess. If the tooth crown is not very damaged, the doctor can decide on root canal treatment, which is more and more often carried out during one, and not until recently, several visits. Unfortunately, sometimes even after the inflammation has healed, it may be necessary to extract the tooth to prevent the infection from re-developing.
In the case of hypertrophic osteoarthritis, treatment of the underlying disease is necessary.