Pyomyositis of tensor fascia lata: a case report

Korhan Ozkan¹ , Koray Unay¹ , Ender Ugutmen¹ , Abdullah Eren¹ , Engin Eceviz¹ and Baransel Saygi²

¹Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Istanbul, Turkey

²Fatih Sultan Mehmet Research and Training Hospital, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Istanbul, Turkey

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Medical Case Reports 2008, 2:236doi:10.1186/1752-1947-2-236


Published:	24 July 2008

Abstract

Introduction

Pyomyositis is a disease in which an abscess is formed deep within large striated muscles.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 10-year-old boy who presented with fever and a painful hip and was subsequently diagnosed with pyomyositis of the tensor fascia lata. In children with clinical and laboratory findings of inflammation in the vicinity of the hip joint, the differential diagnosis includes transient synovitis, an early stage of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, infectious arthritis of the hip, rheumatologic diseases and extracapsular infection such as osteomyelitis.

Conclusion

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of pyomyositis of the tensor fascia lata. Although pyomyositis is a rare disease and the differential diagnosis includes a variety of other commonly observed diseases, pyomyositis should be considered in cases where children present with fever, leukocytosis and localized pain.