Primary Bone Lymphoma of the Shaft of the Tibia, Mimicking Subacute Osteomyelitis.

We present the case of a 32-year-old healthy male who presented with a three-month history of insidious onset pain and swelling over the right tibia. Initial radiographs and imaging pointed to a diagnosis of subacute osteomyelitis, as there was no cortical destruction, periosteal reaction, or soft tissue involvement. The patient underwent surgery for osteomyelitis. However, the histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) findings pointed to a possible B-cell lymphoma diagnosis. The patient was referred to a tertiary-level oncology centre, where a repeat biopsy and positron emission tomography (PET) scan confirmed a diagnosis of primary bone lymphoma (PBL). Treatment was initiated immediately in the form of a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the progress was followed up with further scans at four-month intervals. The patient achieved remission nine months after the initiation of treatment.

Subacute osteomyelitis of the tibial diaphysis associated with Brodie's abscess: A rare case report of a four-year-old child.

INTRODUCTION: Septic osteomyelitis is a hematogenous bacterial bone infection. The acute presentation is the most common; the subacute one is less frequent. The aim of our case report is to put forward the features of this uncommon presentation and to propose a therapeutic management. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a rare case of subacute osteomyelitis associated with Brodie's abscess of the tibial diaphysis in a four-year-old child. The chief complaint was a pain in the left tibia evolving for five weeks. The radiological findings and the unusual location of this pathology suggested a malignant bone tumor. Thanks to imaging assessment and bone biopsy the diagnosis of subacute osteomyelitis associated with Brodie's abscess was made. Therefore, the child had antibiotic therapy and plaster immobilization to avoid pathological fracture. Pain relief and radiological improvement was obtained after 3 months of antibiotic treatment. At a two-year follow-up, the X-ray was normal. DISCUSSION: We report an uncommon case of subacute osteomyelitis which evolved to Brodie's abscess with diaphyseal location. The mainstream treatment is surgery combined with antibiotics. However, medical treatment alone can lead to recovery without sequelae. CONCLUSION: Because of the atypical location and presentation of subacute osteomyelitis, the other differential diagnoses, especially malignant bone tumors have to be eliminated. In some cases, treatment may be based on antibiotics therapy alone.

Brodie's Abscess: A Diagnostic Conundrum.

Atraumatic limb pain in a child raises concerns in a medical setting. That is how a typical case of Brodie's abscess presents, having pain without any other symptoms of systemic illness. Assessment and investigations might also not reveal anything significant unless adequate imaging is done. Although Brodie's abscess has a very low rate of complications and morbidity/disability, it is important that such a presentation is assessed clinically with a diagnosis of Brodie's abscess in mind to ensure an uneventful and good outcome. We illustrate in this case report a similar presentation of an 11-year-old girl who had multiple visits to primary care. She was then assessed through radiological imaging. By the time of her diagnosis, her abscess had protruded through the skin. Thankfully management was done swiftly after identification and the final outcome was good with complete recovery.

Infecciones osteoarticulares en niños / Osteoarticular infections in children

Las infecciones osteorticulares (IOA) en el niño son una causa importante de morbilidad y secuelas. Su pesquisa oportuna y el tratamiento eficiente pueden lograr excelentes resultados. La mejoría en las condiciones de salud de la población, y el cambio de los agentes etiológicos han variado la forma de presentación y tratamiento. La existencia de gérmenes como Kingella kingae y Staphilococcus aureus multiresistente, contribuyen a la variabilidad de presentación de las infecciones osteoarticulares.El manejo de estas patologías requiere de un conocimiento del cuadro clínico, de los métodos de diagnóstico y las herramientas terapéuticas. Para obtener buenos resultados es requisito básico el enfrentamiento de estos pacientes en un equipo multidisciplinario de especialistas.En este manuscrito revisaremos los aspectos fundamentales de las infecciones osteoarticulares, según el enfoque que aplicamos en nuestros pacientes.

Osteoarticular infections are a substantial cause of morbidity and sequelae in children. Early diagnosis and efficient treatment can achieve excellent results. The improvement in the health conditions of the population and the change in the etiological agents have produced changes in their presentation and their required treatment. The existence of germs like Kingella kingae and Staphilococcus aureus multiresistant contribute to the variability of presentation of osteoarticular infections.The appropriate management of these pathologies requires knowledge of the clinical picture, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic tools. To obtain good results, it is a basic requirement that these patients be confronted by a multidisciplinary team of specialists.In this manuscript we will review the most fundamental aspects of osteoarticular infections according to the approach we apply to our patients

Kingella kingae Osteoarticular Infections Approached through the Prism of the Pediatric Orthopedist.

Nowadays, Kingella kingae (K. kingae) is considered as the main bacterial cause of osteoarticular infections (OAI) in children aged less than 48 months. Next to classical acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, invasive K. kingae infections can also give rise to atypical osteoarticular infections, such as cellulitis, pyomyositis, bursitis, or tendon sheath infections. Clinically, K. kingae OAI are usually characterized by a mild clinical presentation and by a modest biologic inflammatory response to infection. Most of the time, children with skeletal system infections due to K. kingae would not require invasive surgical procedures, except maybe for excluding pyogenic germs' implication. In addition, K. kingae's OAI respond well even to short antibiotics treatments, and, therefore, the management of these infections requires only short hospitalization, and most of the patients can then be treated safely as outpatients.

Brodie's Abscess of the Proximal Humerus Metaphysis: A Case Report.

Introduction: Primary subacute pyogenic osteomyelitis, or Brodie's abscess was initially documented by Sir Benjamin Brodie in 1832. We present a case report with a 6-months follow-up period, demonstrating the successful diagnosis and surgical treatment of a focal lesion of the proximal metaphysis of the right humerus in a 21-years-old female. The pathology of hematologic osteomyelitis and its role in the development of a subacute abscess along with a review of literature and an in detail description of the pathogenesis of Brodie's abscess is discussed and submitted. Case Presentation: A 21- years -old healthy female with a history of fall sustaining injury to the right shoulder one 1 year back followed by which she presented to the outpatient clinic with a swelling over her right shoulder. The patient was managed conservatively with analgesics and was relieved of pain over a course of one 1 week of medications, the patient now presents with pain and swelling in the right shoulder joint on and off since the episode of fall one 1 year back, which had increased over a period of past one 1 week. A week before the most recent presentation she started experiencing some discomfort and pain in her right shoulder. No recent trauma was reported. A mild swelling appeared over the proximal part of the humerus. There were no constitutional symptoms of fever or any illness reported. On examination, there was noted a painful restriction of ROM at the right shoulder joint with no rotator cuff injury. Laboratory investigations were suggestive of raised inflammatory markers. Radiograph of the right shoulder taken in the true antero-posterior view with the shoulder in the neutral rotation was suggestive of an oval lucency with surrounding sclerosis in the proximal metaphyseal region of the humerus. Magnetic resonance imaging MRI of the right shoulder joint showed features consistent with Brodie's abscess in the proximal metaphyseal region of the humerus. Surgical debridement of the abscess was planned. The right shoulder of the patient was immobilized by a universal shoulder immobilizer for 3 days post -operatively and then Pphysiotherapy for shoulder range of movements was started. Infectious parameters decreased and there were no complications in the postoperative period. Regular follow follow-up for two 2 weeks showed clinical improvement. At 6 months follow- up, the patient had made full recovery with radiographic improvement. Conclusion: Brodie's abscess was first described by Sir Benjamin Brodie in 1832. Primary hematogenous subacute osteomyelitis is rarely seen in the proximal metaphysis of the humerus. With appropriate surgical debridement and aggressive antibiotic cover, a near 100% success rate is observed in the treatment of Brodie's abscess with no residual deformities in the affected bones or restrictions in the range of movements in the neighboring joints.

Multifocal subacute osteomyelitis in adjacent bones in the ankle without septic joint.

Osteomyelitis is an inflammation involving bone and/or bone marrow most often the result of bacterial infection of the bone. In children, osteomyelitis most often has an acute presentation and is caused by hematogenous spread. When osteomyelitis is seen in the extremities, conventional radiography is the first-line imaging modality preformed for diagnosis with magnetic resonance imaging employed for further delineation or as a problem-solving tool. A healthy 6-year-old female presented with a history of nonspecific left leg pain for 3-5 weeks which gradually progressed to focal left ankle pain and swelling. Further workup revealed multifocal subacute osteomyelitis with Brodie's abscesses seen on imaging in the absence of a septic joint. This was an uncommon presentation for the following reasons: Patients with multifocal osteomyelitis usually present in the acute setting, as opposed to the subacute setting. When osteomyelitis is multifocal or Brodie's abscesses are present adjacent to the joint capsule, concomitant septic joint is commonly seen.

Brodie's Abscess Masquerading as Vaso-occlusive Crisis in a Sickle-cell Disease Patient.

Brodie's abscess is a rare form of subacute osteomyelitis, most commonly found in children between the ages of two to fifteen years. It has slight preponderance for males. It is characterised by centrally placed, well-circumscribed abscess within the medulla or metaphysis of long bone, most commonly tibia, surrounded by a sclerotic wall. It is sometimes considered a transitional phase for the development of chronic osteomyelitis due to infection persisting between two to six months without showing any systemic symptoms specific to osteomyelitis. It is assumed that it is clinically quiescent due to its intraosseous location. It rarely presents with overt symptoms, which occurs if either the abscess enlarges to create pressure against the periosteum, or if the purulent material extrudes from the confines from its sclerotic walls. Due to subliminal clinical features and indolent clinical course, radiologic investigations are the diagnostic modality of choice. Diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion, especially in the scenario of sepsis with an unknown source of infection. We describe a case of Brodie's abscess in a sickle-cell disease patient which presented as episodes of vaso-occlusive crisis repeatedly before it was diagnosed along with a review of the literature.

Brodie's abscess following percutaneous fixation of distal radius fracture in a child.

We report the case of a Brodie's abscess presenting five and a half years following closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of a distal radius fracture. The index surgery was complicated by a pin site infection that was treated successfully with antibiotics. The patient represented with forearm pain years later, and radiological investigations revealed a Brodie's abscess in the distal radius at the site of the previous Kirschner wires. The Brodie's abscess was managed through surgical curettage and antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus and diphtheroid organisms were cultured from the intraoperative specimens. A Brodie's abscess is a form of localised subacute osteomyelitis, which usually occurs in the metaphysis of long bones and can mimic malignancy. Previous trauma or surgery has been implicated as predisposing factors. We have only identified one previously reported case of Brodie's abscess following percutaneous pinning. Ours is the first reported case in an adolescent. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of this rare complication and review the current literature.

Subacute Osteomyelitis on Phalangeal Bone Resulting from Multiple Kirschner Pin Fixation: Case Report

PURPOSE: Percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation is common method for hand fracture. It is simple but has risk of ascending infection through the pin and bony injury by multiple drilling. Ascending infection through pin tract is mostly superficial and can be treated with antibiotics and aseptic dressing. This is a case review of subacute osteomyelitis on phalangeal bones after Kirschner wire fixation with literature review. METHODS: A 40-years-old man with distal phalangeal fracture on right second finger is presented. He went to a local clinic and had percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation under local anesthesia. He was transferred to our hospital for ulcerative wound on DIP joint at 4 weeks after operation. Radiography showed osteolytic change around medulla of middle and distal phalanges, leading to diagnosis of a subacute osteomyelitis. We treated it with amputation at the level of shaft of middle phalanx. RESULTS: The postoperative course was uneventful. We thought several possible reasons for osteomyelitis in our case. First, it could resulted from ascending infection through the wire. Second, it could be resulted from a bony burn by repeated drilling. And bony necrosis could be a consequence of arterial insufficiency caused by 2 pin insertion. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a precise pinning based on accurate anatomical understanding is required for a percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation. The fre-quency of drilling should be minimized. Careful observation and patient education for pin site care are essential.

Subacute Epiphyseal Osteomyelitis in a Child: A Case Report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Primary subacute osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone that continues for several weeks without any acute infectious manifestations such as fever, local pain and swelling. A diagnosis is often delayed because of the slow onset, the subtle radiological changes and the absence of infectious clinical and laboratory manifestations. Primary subacute osteomyelitis in 35% of primary osteomyelitis cases, almost developed in the metaphysis, but there is no report of subacute epiphyseal osteomyelitis in Korea. We report a case of primary subacute epiphyseal osteomyelitis in the distal femur which was treated conservatively with a satisfactory outcome.

Primary subacute Osteomyelitis in Children: A Retrospective Review / 대한정형외과학회잡지

In our review of 36 hematogenous osteomyelitis nine cases were subacute form. Distal tibia was the most commonly involved location(four of nine patients). According to the modified Robert's classification cross-physeal lesions were the most common type(four of nine patients). In most of the cases the clinical findings and laboratory data were not much helpful for current diagnosis. Four patients had radiographic findings similar to those of tumors such as Ewing' s sarcoma, osteoid osteoma or bone cyst. Magnetic resonance imaging was useful in the identification of early lesions. In three patients Staphylococcus aureus was isolated by bacterial culture of biopsy specimen. In the remaining six patients diagnosis was made by histological evaluation. All patients except one were treated by curettage and antibiotics. In the other patient the disease showed a tendency of spontaneous healing without operative intervention and antibiotics. Cross-physeal lesion seemed to be a typical finding of the subacute osteomyelitis.

A Clinical Study of the Subacute Osteomylitis in Children / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Subacute osteomylitis is far less common than acute osteomyelitis, characterized by insidious onset of the symptoms of mild local pain or discomfort without any acute systemic illness. Radiographic findings are not infrequently confused with benign or malignant bone tumors. From Jan, 1983 to Dec. 1991, we experienced twelve patients with subacute osteomylitis of long bones. Our clinical observations were as follows. 1. There were 11 boys and one girl with an average age of 9.7 years(range, 30months-16years). 2. The involved sites were proximal in 1, distal radius in 3, midshaft of femur in 3, distal femur in 2, proximal tibia in 1, and distal tibia in 2 cases. 3. All patients had insidious onset of mild to moderate pain. ESR was increased in 9 cases(75%) with a mean value of 44 mm/hr, but leukocytosis was not found. 4. According to the Green and Edwards' classification, there were type 1 in 1, type 2 in 3, type 3 in 3, and type 6 in 5 cases. 5. Eleven patients had operative treatment. The remaining one patient was treated by antibiotic treatment. 6. Primary treatment was successful in 11 patients who were followed for and average 9.5 months. One patients was lost to follow-up.