Fever and Hip Pain: Not Always Due to a Septic Hip

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2018 Dec;34(12):e236-e238. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000985.

Abstract

Hip pain in febrile children always raises concern for septic arthritis. Pyomyositis is a rare cause of hip pain. Because it involves muscles around the joint, it may have a similar presentation as a septic hip. This entity therefore has the potential for posing a diagnostic dilemma when physicians face a limping child with fever. We report a child who presented with fever and hip pain and has pyomyositis of the obturator internus muscle. This case underscores the need to consider the possibility of alternative etiologies in a limping child.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Arthralgia / etiology
  • Arthritis, Infectious / diagnosis*
  • Child
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Drainage / methods
  • Fever / etiology
  • Hip Joint / pathology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Pyomyositis / diagnosis*
  • Pyomyositis / therapy
  • Staphylococcal Infections / complications
  • Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / therapy

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents