1998 Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 519-523
We present a case report of fungal osteomyelitis after aspergillus empyema. At first, 68-years male was admitted to our hospital complaining for cough and sputum. Chest X-ray film and CT demonstrated an air space with niveau in the right side of chest. As Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from his sputum and pleural effusion, the diagnosis of aspergillus empyema was confirmed. After lung decortication, open thoracotomy, and omentopexy was performed, he left hospital. After 4 month from discharge, he was consulted to our hospital again complaining for lower limb paralysis. Myelography and MRI revealed infected osteomyelitis of the lumbar spine. Penicillium sp. was cultured from resected specimen, and it was diagnosed as fungal osteomyelitis after treatment of aspergillus empyema.
Although fungal osteomyelitis are rare now, most of them occured in immunocompromised hosts and there may be increased incidence of fungal osteomyelitis due to the increasing frequency of immunosuppression associated conditions including chemotherapy, organ transplantation, AIDS, and postoperative condition.
