ABSTRACT
Background: Pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of skeletal muscle. Although more commonly seen in the tropics, it is increasingly recognized in temperate regions. The age distribution for patients with so called "tropical" or "temperate" pyomyositis differs. Most cases of tropical pyomyositis are seen in otherwise healthy patients and mainly in children, while the majority of cases of temperate pyomyositis occur in inmunocompromised adults. Aim: To report a series of patients with pyomyositis. Material and Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records of patients admitted to our hospital with pyomyositis during the period 1996-2001. Results: Seventeen patients were identified, aged from 5 to 86 years old, nine (53%) males. Staphylococcus aureus (13 cases, 76%) was the most common infecting organism. Eleven patients (65%) had a history of previous trauma. All patients were immunocompetent. Six patients underwent surgical drainage. Six patients (35%) presented complications and of those, one died. Conclusions: All patients of this series were immunocompetent. Pyomyositis is a serious and life threatening disease but curable. An early treatment is the key to a better prognosis.