Case Report of Iliac Osteomyelitis in A Child, Presenting as Septic Arthritis of the Hip

INTRODUCTION: Osteomyelitis of the pelvis can be a difficult condition to diagnose and can present in a number of different ways. The ilium is the bone most frequently affected and staphylococcus aureus is the organism most commonly responsible. CASEREPORT: This case report describes a six year old girl, who presented with right sided hip pain, fevers and altered weight bearing. She was initially diagnosed with septic arthritis of the hip and underwent open joint washout. A magnet resonance imaging scan was subsequently performed which confirmed the diagnosis of iliac osteomyelitis with abscesses of the iliopsoas and iliacus. The patient underwent further operative debridement and required prolonged antibiotic therapy but she eventually made a full recovery. CONCLUSION: Pelvic osteomyelitis can present very similarly to hip septic arthritis and early magnetic resonance imaging is beneficial in diagnosing the condition. Surgical intervention can be required if there is abscess formation, although recovery is usually very good and the incidence of long term complications is rare.