UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Pediatrics

Title: Pediatric Back Pain

Keywords: Back Pain, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Neuroblastoma (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/24/2008 by Sean Fox, MD (Emailed: 1/25/2008) (Updated: 4/26/2024)
Click here to contact Sean Fox, MD

Pediatric Back Pain

Back Pain in PrePubertal Children is rare and often due to serious underlying disorder
- Infection (diskitis or osteomyelitis)
- Malignancy
  - Osteoma, Osteoblastoma
  - Histiocytosis X
  - Lymphoma, Leukemia
  - Ewing Sarcoma
  - Neuroblastoma, Spinal Cord Glioma
Back Pain in adolescent children is more likely to be due to muscular skeletal injury (as with adults)
- Classified as chronic back pain (greater than 4 weeks duration) in up to 13%

Red Flags for Serious Underlying Disorders
- <4yrs of age
- Back Pain causing functional disability (child not willing to play)
- Fever
- Neurologic Abnormality (get the child undressed and do a good neuro exam).