Particular etiology of a child's painful hip: the subacute osteomyelitis

ABSTRACT

The subacute osteomyelitis of the hip is rare and remains a difficult diagnostic. We report a case of right pain hip in a 9-year-old girl, associated with a slight fever, rebel to the antibiotic treatment. Biology showed moderated raised inflammatory markers. The plain radiographs of the pelvic showed a little bone demineralization of the acetabular roof. The ultrasonography of the right hip was normal. The pelvic magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] showed a medullary edema in the acetabular roof. The bone scintigraphy showed an intense uptake on the right acetabulum. The computed tomography [CT] of the hip revealed the presence in the right acetabular roof of two bone defects enclosing bony sequestra thus evoking the diagnosis of subacute osteomyelitis. The evolution was favourable under antibiotic treatment managed by the intravenous way during 15 days [Bristopen, Gentamycin] then relayed by the oral way for one month