Meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus costochondritis in a healthy man

A 54-year-old previously healthy white man presented to hospital with fever, right parasternal pain and swelling over the right second and third costochondral joints. The symptoms had developed 1 week earlier.

Physical examination, white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level, blood and urine culture, plain radiography and CT of the chest, (99m)Tc bone scintigraphy, ultrasound-guided needle aspiration of soft tissue mass, Gram staining and culture of aspirated fluid.

Meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus costochondritis.

CT revealed a 2 x 5 cm soft tissue mass at the posterior aspect of the right second and third costochondral joints. The fluid aspirated contained Gram-positive cocci, and culture revealed the presence of meticillin-sensitive S. aureus. The patient received a 6-week course of flucloxacillin (2 g by intravenous injection every 6 h for 2 weeks, then 1 g orally every 6 h for 4 weeks). He responded well to treatment, and was discharged from hospital.