Salmonella Osteomyelitis in a one year old Child without Sickle Cell Disease: A Case Report

• Main Authors: Saturveithan C, Arieff A, Premganesh G, Sivapathasundaram N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Orthopaedic Association 2014-07-01
• Series: Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal
• Subjects: salmonella osteomyelitis; non-sickle cell disease; children
• Online Access: http://www.morthoj.org/2014/v8n2/salmonella-osteomyelitis.pdf
• ISSN: 1985-2533

A one year old boy was admitted with left shoulder pain with reduced range of motion of five days’ duration associated. Inflammatory markers were raised and radiograph of the left shoulder revealed widening of the metaphysis of the proximal humerus. Empirically, he was started on intravenous C-penicillin and cloxacillin after initial joint aspiration yielded only synovial fluid with negative culture. Subsequent MRI revealed acute osteomyelitis of the proximal left humerus with concurrent septic arthritis of the shoulder joint. Cultures from the arthrotomy washout grew Salmonella sp, sensitive to ampicillin. He recovered following six weeks of intravenous unasyn ( ampicillin and sulbactum). This rare case of salmonella osteomyelitis in a non-sickle cell disease patient was diagnosed with serial laboratory and radiological studies and was successfully treated with adequate duration of antibiotics and operative intervention.