title: Simple diagnosis of benign acute childhood myositis: Lessons from a case report.
abstract: Acute muscle pain and walking difficulty are symptoms compatible with both benign and severe degenerative diseases. As a consequence, in some cases invasive tests and hospitalizations are improperly scheduled. We report the case of a 7-year-old child suffering from acute calf pain and abnormal gait following flu-like symptoms. A review of the literature will be helpful to better define differential diagnosis in cases of muscle pain in children. Daily physical examination and urine dipstick are sufficient to confirm the diagnosis of benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) during the acute phase, to promptly detect severe complications and to rule out degenerative diseases. Children with BACM do not require hospitalization, medical interventions or long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Terlizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Improta
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raia
keywords: Benign acute childhood myositis; children; differential diagnosis; myositis