Afghan girl suffering from hematogenous osteomyelitis. This was not a war injury. Osteomyelitis is an infectious inflammation of the bone or bone marrow. Causes are usually open fractures or surgeries on the skeleton, leading to contamination with bacteria, seldom via bloodstream. Commonly caused by bacteria, osteomyelitis can in rare case also be caused by fungi and viruses. The acute illness can become chronic. The treatment is almost always surgical.
