Acute multifocal haematogenous osteomyelitis in children

Haematogenous multifocal osteomyelitis in children represents a dangerous form of osteomyelitis in which sepsis can develop quickly if it is not treated early. A retrospective analysis of 26 children with acute multifocal haematogenous osteomyelitis over a period of 5 years was undertaken in order to assess the clinical presentation, infective organism, laboratory investigations and risk factors involved.

Children more than 1 year of age with two or more bones involvement presenting within one week from the onset of symptoms were included in this study. All of the children were evaluated by clinical examination, blood tests and local ultrasound.

The average age at presentation was 4.9 years and girls were affected more than boys, with a female to male ratio of 1.4. Lower limbs were affected in 92% of cases, and, specifically, the tibia in 73.1% of the patients. Blood culture was positive in 38.5% of our cases. The predominant microorganism isolated from surgical samples was Staphylococcus aureus, among which methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was found in 50% of the patients. Surgical drainage of the pus was done in 24 cases, followed by appropriate antibiotics, and two cases were treated by conservative means. All of the children were successfully treated except for four, who developed chronic osteomyelitis and sequelae.

We conclude that acute multifocal haematogenous osteomyelitis in children needs early diagnosis by a high index of clinical suspicion and adequate treatment with timely intervention. The predominance of MRSA in our study shows the changing trend in its association with multiple bone involvement.