Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Duchess of Kent, Sandakan, Malaysia
Malays Orthop J, 2023 Jul;17(2):70-75.
PMID: 37583524 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2307.011

Abstract

Pyomyositis which is also known as myositis tropicans is a rare condition where there is bacterial infection of the skeletal muscle. Its manifestation includes pain and tenderness of the affected muscle and general infective symptoms. It commonly occurs in immunocompromised individuals and patients with previous history of trauma to the affected muscle. We report a case of a 16-year-old boy with history of underlying bronchial asthma who presented with multiple abscesses. He underwent multiple operations to drain the infection and targeted antibiotic therapy subsequently. Despite undergoing surgical debridement, drainage and antibiotic treatment, he was still having repeated bouts of fever and his inflammatory markers were not reducing. He was then diagnosed with concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis infection which subjected him to an immunosuppressed state thus arising to the condition of pyomyositis and unresolving fever. The patient then made prompt improvement when the underlying cause of immunosuppression; pulmonary tuberculosis was treated as well.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.