Tropical pyomyositis in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Pyomyositis is an acute bacterial infection of striated muscles. It is common in the tropics but rarely reported from this part of world. A prospective study of tropical pyomyositis was carried out in Surgical Unit II, Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan. We report fifteen patients treated by us over last three years from January 1991 to December 1993. None of the patients was immune compromised. Their age varied from six months to 70 years. We found sonography very helpful in diagnosing pyomyositis. In nine patients staphylococcus aureus was isolated. E.Coli was the causative organism in two patients and in four patients no organism could be cultured from pus. All the patients were treated by open drainage followed by secondary suturing along with antibiotic cover. One patient died because of septicaemia who had multiple muscles involved