Tropical pyomyositis: A case report.

ABSTRACT

Tropical pyomyositis is an inflammatory condition of skeletal muscles, usually associated with infection with microbials. As this disease is quite rare in Thailand, we report here a 20-year-old man, a Burmese immigrant in Bangkok for 5 months, who presented with fever, malaise, luecocytosis, elevated sedimentation rate, anemia and a tender mass on his right back. Ultrasonography revealed a mass with abscess suggested tropical pyomyositis and was confirmed by open surgery. Pus was sterile. After treatment with cloxacillin for 24 days, the abscess healed and the patient was discharged and has been followed for 4 months with no recurrence of pyomyoistis. Tropical pyomyositis should be considered and differentiated from viral infection, osteomyelitis and visceral abscesses in the tropical countries.