Arthroscopic assisted evacuation of a rare Brodie’s abscess in the femoral head of an adolescent girl – A case report

Abstract

Brodie’s abscess is a form of subacute osteomyelitis. It is a diagnostic problem because such patients typically have mild local symptoms, few or no constitutional symptoms, and near-normal laboratory values. Though metaphyseal lesions were common in the proximal tibia and proximal femur, these lesions rarely affect the femoral head and neck. We report a case of a 16-year-old girl presenting with a rare Brodie’s abscess involving the femoral head that was treated using an arthroscopically assisted curettage of the lesion combined with culture-directed antibiotics. This unusual location would have increased the likelihood of incomplete excision of the diseased tissue and would have led to recurrence. To avoid these risks, we opted for arthroscopic curettage under fluoroscopic guidance using a lateral approach. By this improvised method, there was minimal resection of bone and we found this technique of evacuation safe, uncomplicated and minimally invasive which resulted in early recovery. Keywords: Arthroscopic debridement, Bone infection, Brodie’s abscess, Head of Femur, Hip joint, Subacute osteomyelitis.