Pyomyositis; A Diagnosis Not To Miss

Abstract

Pyomyositis is a primary bacterial infection of the skeletal muscles. It is known as tropical myositis as most cases have been reported in patients living in the tropics. However, the disease is increasingly being seen in non-tropical areas, especially in the United States, with little data reported in Lebanon. The disease has a predilection for large muscles especially the quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Pyomyositis is usually diagnosed late, leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Time of recognition of the disease directs the course of the treatment. Early diagnosis of pyomyositis, during the pre-suppurative phase, can be treated only with IV antibiotics without the need for surgical incision and drainage. We represent here the case of a 14 year-old male patient who presented with atypical symptoms of fever, dysuria, and abdomino-pelvic pain. Patient was early diagnosed with pomposities of the right obturator muscle with extension to form osteomyelitis of the symphysis pubis. Patient was solely treated for six weeks of Intravenous antibiotics (IV), with full recovery, without the need for surgical drainage.