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VOLUME 11 , ISSUE 1 ( April, 2016 ) > List of Articles

CASE REPORT

Brodie's abscess following percutaneous fixation of distal radius fracture in a child

Karthig Rajakulendran, Natasha E. Picardo, Ibraheim El-Daly, Rami Hussein

Keywords : Brodie's abscess, Kirschner wires, K-wire, Infection, Subacute osteomyelitis

Citation Information : Rajakulendran K, Picardo NE, El-Daly I, Hussein R. Brodie's abscess following percutaneous fixation of distal radius fracture in a child. 2016; 11 (1):69-73.

DOI: 10.1007/s11751-016-0249-3

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Published Online: 01-12-2013

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2016; The Author(s).


Abstract

We report the case of a Brodie's abscess presenting five and a half years following closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of a distal radius fracture. The index surgery was complicated by a pin site infection that was treated successfully with antibiotics. The patient represented with forearm pain years later, and radiological investigations revealed a Brodie's abscess in the distal radius at the site of the previous Kirschner wires. The Brodie's abscess was managed through surgical curettage and antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus and diphtheroid organisms were cultured from the intraoperative specimens. A Brodie's abscess is a form of localised subacute osteomyelitis, which usually occurs in the metaphysis of long bones and can mimic malignancy. Previous trauma or surgery has been implicated as predisposing factors. We have only identified one previously reported case of Brodie's abscess following percutaneous pinning. Ours is the first reported case in an adolescent. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of this rare complication and review the current literature.


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