Pyomyositis after vaginal delivery.
Pyomyositis is a purulent infection of skeletal muscle that arises from haematogenous spread, usually with abscess formation. It can develop after a transient bacteraemia of any cause. This type of infection has never been reported before in the literature after vaginal delivery. A 34-year-old woman had progressive severe pain in the left buttock and thigh and weakness in the left lower limb day 1 post spontaneous vaginal delivery. MRI showed severe oedema of the left gluteus, iliacus, piriformis and adductor muscles of the left thigh and a small fluid collection at the left hip joint. She was diagnosed with pyomyositis. She had fever of 37.9°C immediately postpartum and her risk factors for bacteraemia were a mild IV cannula-associated cellulitis and labour itself. She required prolonged treatment with antibiotics before significant clinical improvement was noted.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. evegaughan@yahoo.co.uk
Eve
E
Gaughan
Maeve
M
Eogan
Mary
M
Holohan
D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011644:Puerperal Disorders; D052880:Pyomyositis