Abstract
This is a case of a three-month-old female infant with poor motion of her left lower extremity. Laboratory data revealed slight inflammation. Hip X-ray showed an irregular osteolytic lesion at the proximal metaphysis of the proximal left femur. As hip echo showed widening of the ultrasonic joint space (UJS) of the left hip, the existence of joint effusion was suspected. Hip MRI showed a high signal intensity area in the femoral head, femoral metaphysis, articular space and in the surrounding soft tissues on T2–weighted images. Inflammation, bone marrow edema and debris were suspected based on these MRI findings.
Some mosaic intensity change was seen in the femoral head. Although the cultures of joint fluid and debris were negative, we clinically diagnosed this case as osteomyelitis-type pyogenic coxitis. Her clinical findings improved following arthroscopic debridement and the administration of antibiotics.
