Oesophageal pyomyositis in an intravenous drug user

Abstract

An inflammatory or infectious disease of the oesophagus occurring in tissue layers beneath but sparing the mucosa may pose a diagnostic challenge. Bacterial pyomyositis has been previously reported occurring mostly in the skeletal muscle. Pyomyositis involving the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare, and may easily be misdiagnosed due to its nonspecific clinical features. We report a case of an intravenous drug user who presented with oesophageal pyomyositis. Early computed tomography facilitated accurate diagnosis. Adequate drainage followed by antibiotic treatment was effective and the oesophagus was preserved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of oesophageal myositis in an intravenous drug user.

Keywords: Oesophagus; Pyomyositis.