Extensive Osteomyelitis and Septic Arthritis Caused by Bacteroides Fragilis in a Child with Sickle Cell Disease: A Case Report

Abstract

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have a higher risk of developing osteoarticular (OA) infections, which are most commonly caused by Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we report an unusual case of severe anaerobic osteoarticular infection caused by Bacteroides fragilis in an 11-year-old girl with SCD. Her management was challenging because she required joint aspiration twice, two rounds of surgical debridement, and a prolonged course of combined antimicrobial therapy to achieve clinical and biochemical improvement. To achieve good clinical outcomes, an anaerobic cause of OA infections should be considered in patients with SCD if improvement does not occur using the usual empirical antibiotic regimens.

Keywords

anaerobic bacterium - Bacteroides fragilis - osteomyelitis - septic arthritis - sickle cell disease

• References

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