Costal BCG osteomyelitis presenting as a tumor

Chest Wall Mass in Infancy: The Presentation of Bone-Tumor-Like BCG Osteitis

Chest wall mass in infancy is rare. Malignant lesions are more common than infection or benign tumors. This is a case of a 12-month-old girl who presented with a 2 cm mass at the right costal margin and poor weight gain. Chest radiograph demonstrated a moth-eaten osteolytic lesion at the 8th rib. The resection was performed, and a mass with pus content was found. The positive acid fast stain (AFB) organism was noted. Pathology confirmed caseous granulomatous inflammation compatible with mycobacterial infection. However, QuantiFERON-TB Gold was negative, so Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) osteitis is highly suspected. She was treated with antimycobacterium drugs and showed good results. Osteomyelitis can manifest by mimicking bone tumors. Without a biopsy, the pathogen may go undetected. So, interventions such as biopsy are warranted and avoid mass resection without indication. High C-reactive protein (CRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), periosteal reaction of radiating spicules, and penumbra sign in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are helpful for discriminating osteomyelitis from bone tumor.

Rib osteomyelitis in a pediatric patient case report and literature review

Rib osteomyelitis is a very rare form of childhood osteomyelitis. We describe a case of a 9-year-old child with an osteomyelitis of the rib due to Staphylococcus aureus and review 57 cases reported in the literature. This case demonstrates that the diagnosis of this uncommon disease requires a high index of suspicion due to its rarity and nonspecific signs.

Osteitis after BCG vaccination

The authors report the case of a 21-month-old boy with an osteolytic lesion in the proximal region of the right humerus. Based on the clinical history and histological findings, the authors suspected osteitis following BCG vaccination. Symptoms remitted after antituberculosis therapy was initiated, and the patient presented radiological improvement. The authors describe this uncommon entity in pediatric practice and call attention to possible complications of BCG vaccination.

Osteomyelitis of the rib due to Streptococcus pneumoniae: a very rare condition in children

Rib osteomyelitis is a rare disease. We present a previously unreported case of Streptococcus pneumoniae osteomyelitis of the rib. A 4-month-old-infant presented with fever, irritability and abdominal tenderness. Pericostal collection was discovered incidentally on ultrasound; it was first drained by needle aspiration and appropriate antibiotic therapy was given, with resolution of fever in 24 h, but recurrence of symptoms 4 days later, with swelling over the affected rib. Surgical drainage with resection of the infected portion of the rib were done followed by a prolonged course of intravenous and then oral antibiotics, without any recurrence at 6 months follow-up. A review of the pertinent literature was made. This case demonstrates that the spectrum of pathogens potentially responsible for rib osteomyelitis may be broader than previously reported. The management and outcome are similar to rib osteomyelitis due to any other bacteria.

Osteomyelitis of the ribs in the antibiotic era

A total of 106 cases of rib osteomyelitis were reviewed, including 2 cases described in detail. Mycobacterial and bacterial infections accounted for 47 cases each. Fungal rib osteomyelitis occurred in 11 cases and 1 case was caused by Entamoeba histolytica. Most cases occurred in children and young adults. The mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 16, 26 and 32 weeks for bacterial, mycobacterial and fungal rib osteomyelitis, respectively. Common clinical signs were fever (73%), soft tissue mass (64%) and chest pain (60%). Route of infection was defined in 85 cases: 62% from contiguous spread and 38% via haematogenous route of infection. Eighty-nine percent had a favourable outcome after antimicrobial therapy with or without surgery. In conclusion, rib osteomyelitis is a rare infection of various aetiologies. The majority of cases occur in children and young adults and its diagnosis is usually delayed for several weeks.