Osteomyelitis from cat bite

Case contributed by Evangeline Collins
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Cat-bite right hand and wrist, wounds volar aspect. Retained foreign body?

Patient Data

Age: 55 years
Gender: Female
x-ray

No retained radiopaque foreign bodies at the indicated sites of concern.

One month later

x-ray

The patient represented one month later.

There is osteolysis at the lateral cortex of the distal radius with adjacent soft tissue swelling, in keeping with osteomyelitis.

At the indicated site of concern, there is a small curvilinear radiopaque structure, suspicious for a retained foreign body.

Case Discussion

Osteolysis is a typical feature of osteomyelitis seen in plain film imaging.

Initial radiographs can be occult, as in this case.

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