Vertebral osteomyelitis mimicking chronic pancreatitis.

Vertebral osteomyelitis rarely mimics pancreatitis. However, the potential consequences of longstanding unrecognized disease, including neurological impairment and bony deformity, should make it an item in the differential diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. In the evaluation of our patient, four items were of particular importance: awareness of his previously documented S. aureus bacteremia, a markedly elevated ESR, an abnormal chest radiograph, and the positive bone scan.