Chronic osteomyelitis, reactivation 20 years later: case report.

Abstract

Objective: Chronic osteomyelitis (CMO) is a serious and prolonged infection of bone structures with more than 1 month of evolution. Its incidence is low, which makes it an infrequent pathology, occurring in 2-5 cases per 10,000 people or 10-25 cases per 100,000 children. The most common origin is bacterial, isolating in an accentuated way Staphylococcus aureus. It manifests clinically with pain, erythema, increased volume and temperature of the affected area, as well as the presence of fistulas in most patients. S. aureus has the ability to remain slowly evolving and inconspicuous for long periods of time that can lead to a recurrence up to 50-75 years after initial infection. The OMC constitutes a pathology of difficult diagnosis and management, requires prolonged antibiotic treatments and multiple surgical interventions depending on the progress and evolution of each case.

Conclusion: The diagnosis of this pathology implies a lot of precision and expertise, the pathogenicity of S. aureus makes it an ideal bacterium to generate this type of infection that, due to its high percentage of recurrence, requires antibiotic therapy directed by long treatment cycles accompanied by close follow-up. and periodic evaluation.