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Case Reports
. 2017 Jul;11(7):PD08-PD09.
doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2017/25974.10222. Epub 2017 Jul 1.

Primary Tuberculotic Osteomyelitis of Rib in a Child

Nitin Kumar Kashyap  1 , Atul Jindal  2 , Nitin Kumar Borkar  3 , Minal Wasnik  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Primary Tuberculotic Osteomyelitis of Rib in a Child

Nitin Kumar Kashyap et al. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jul.

Abstract

Although extremely rare, osteomyelitis has been reported in smaller bones like ribs. A 13-year-old male child presented with a one week history of chest wall swelling. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) of the lesion and initial bacterial culture could not find the aetiology of the lesion. He underwent surgical resection of entire sixth rib for osteomyelitis and was subsequently diagnosed to have tubercular osteomyelitis. Diagnosis and treatment of rib tuberculosis is both difficult and controversial. Rib tuberculosis is often not successfully treated by medical management alone and consequently needs surgery.

Keywords: Chest wall; Mycobacterium; Small bone.

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Figures

[Table/Fig-1]:
[Table/Fig-1]:
Contrast enhanced CT of thorax showing thickening and bony destruction with sclerotic changes in the entire right sixth rib (black arrow).
[Table/Fig-2]:
[Table/Fig-2]:
Excised specimen.
[Table/Fig-3]:
[Table/Fig-3]:
Histopathological image of resected specimen showing few granulomas composed of central caseous necrosis (yellow arrow) with epithelioid, histiocytes, occasional giant cells (green arrow) and surrounded by a peripheral rim of lymphocytes (H&E 10X).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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