Chondrosternal arthritis in infant: an unusual entity.
Primary arthritis of chondrosternal joint is very rare and occurs in infants less than 18 months of age. Presentation is most often subacute but may be acute. Child presents with a parasternal mass with history of fever and/or local signs of infection. Clinical symptoms vary from a painless noninflammatory to a painful mass with local tenderness and swelling, while fever may be absent. Laboratory data show low or marginally raised levels of white blood cells and C-reactive protein, reflecting, respectively, the subacute or acute character of the infection. It is a self-limiting affection due to the adequate immune response of the patient. Evolution is generally good without antibiotherapy with a progressive spontaneous healing. A wait-and-see approach with close follow-up in the first weeks is the best therapeutic option.
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Service de Pédiatrie, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Athina
0000-0002-4685-0946
A
Nikolarakou
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Service de Radiologie et d'Imagerie Médicale, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Dana
D
Dumitriu
Computer Assisted Robotic Surgery (CARS), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Tour Pasteur +4, Avenue Mounier 53, 1200 Brussels, Belgium ; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Pierre-Louis
0000-0003-0309-3970
PL
Docquier