Abstract
We report the treatment of two infants with tuberculous osteomyelitis.
Case 1
An 11-month-old girl was admitted because of swelling of the left shoulder and left knee. She had not been vaccinated with BCG. Her uncle, who had lived with her in the Philippines, had developed tuberculosis. MRI revealed a large abscess in the right shoulder.
Case 2
A 2-year-old boy, who had been vaccinated with BCG (Tokyo stain) at 5 months of age, developed swelling of the left hand. The patient had not been in contact with any individuals affected by tuberculosis. Radiography demonstrated an osteolytic lesion and periosteal reaction in the left second metacarpal.
Both patients were diagnosed as having tuberculous osteomyelitis by real-time polymerase chain reaction and received antituberculous chemotherapy after surgery. Case 2 was diagnosed as BCG osteomyelitis.
Tuberculous osteomyelitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pyogenic osteomyelitis or bone tumor.
