Complementary immunotherapy in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis

The authors present a retrospective study of 492 cases of chronic osteomyelitis treated with active immunotherapy to complement surgical and antibiotic treatment. The systematic application of this treatment, which is based on the use of antistaphylococcal vaccines and/or auto-vaccines resulted in the osteomyelitic process being cured in 80 per cent of cases, with complete closure of the fistulae maintained for at least three years. The authors also report the preliminary results obtained with passive immunotherapy in twenty-six patients with chronic osteomyelitis that had proved resistant to all other forms of treatment. Sero-immunological investigations in these patients revealed a deficiency in the opsonifying capacity of the serum. Treatment with opsonin precursors produced complete recession of symptoms and clinical signs, maintained for at least a year, in 50 per cent of these patients.