Thymic abscess with bacteremia and manubriosternal pyarthrosis in a geriatric patient

We describe a geriatric patient with acute substernal chest pain thought to be due to coronary heart disease, who was subsequently found to have Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia associated with infection of the thymus and manubriosternal joint. To our knowledge, this is the first report of (1) a thymic abscess in a geriatric patient, (2) a thymic abscess associated with bacteremia, (3) extra-articular extension of manubriosternal pyarthrosis, and (4) manubriosternal pyarthrosis in the geriatric age group.