A Case of Primary Osteomyelitis of the Rib With Involvement of the Chest Wall, Presenting as a Non-Healing Abscess

Coccidioidomycosis of the chest wall is a rare finding and diagnosis is often delayed. We report a case of chest wall abscess with underlying osteomyelitis and an expansile lytic lesion of the left fourth rib in a young and immunocompetent African American male. Initially, the diagnostic assumption gravitated towards bone malignancy, but the diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis was made when the culture results from the bone biopsy specimen confirmed Coccidioides immitis as the causative agent. The aim of this unique case is to demonstrate that as an emerging infectious agent, Coccidioides immitis is a known cause of chest wall abscess and should be considered among the differential diagnosis by clinicians.