title: Thymic abscess with bacteremia and manubriosternal pyarthrosis in a geriatric patient.
abstract: We describe a geriatric patient with acute substernal chest pain thought to be due to coronary heart disease, who was subsequently found to have Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia associated with infection of the thymus and manubriosternal joint. To our knowledge, this is the first report of (1) a thymic abscess in a geriatric patient, (2) a thymic abscess associated with bacteremia, (3) extra-articular extension of manubriosternal pyarthrosis, and (4) manubriosternal pyarthrosis in the geriatric age group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubinstien
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slavin
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008371:Manubrium; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013249:Sternum; D013950:Thymus Gland