A Rare Pediatric Case of Chronic Toe Osteomyelitis Due to Contiguous Spread

Osteomyelitis is a relatively rare infection in children that can develop in the context of foot nail injuries. Contiguous osteomyelitis may develop from trauma, inoculation during surgical procedures, or from neighboring infected tissue. We present a rare case of a patient with contiguous osteomyelitis following surgical nail removal due to persistent onychomycosis. Considering the severity of the infection, a phalanx amputation was performed. Chronic osteomyelitis, which can result from the contiguous spread of infection following an injury, may lead to serious complications. Each type of osteomyelitis requires different treatment strategies, either medical or surgical. Prompt diagnosis is crucial for both prognosis and successful treatment. The latter mandates interdisciplinary interventions combining patient assessment, antibiotics, and surgery.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-07-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.87778
Primary Topic
Orthopedic Infections and Treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

A Rare Pediatric Case of Chronic Toe Osteomyelitis Due to Contiguous Spread

Charalampos Antachopoulos, Maria Ziaka, Elpis Chochliourou, Ioannis Trevlias et al.
Cureus
Orthopedic Infections and Treatments
article

A Rare Pediatric Case of Chronic Toe Osteomyelitis Due to Contiguous Spread

Charalampos Antachopoulos, Maria Ziaka, Elpis Chochliourou, Ioannis Trevlias, Aikaterini Tzantzaroudi
article en

Abstract

Osteomyelitis is a relatively rare infection in children that can develop in the context of foot nail injuries. Contiguous osteomyelitis may develop from trauma, inoculation during surgical procedures, or from neighboring infected tissue. We present a rare case of a patient with contiguous osteomyelitis following surgical nail removal due to persistent onychomycosis. Considering the severity of the infection, a phalanx amputation was performed. Chronic osteomyelitis, which can result from the contiguous spread of infection following an injury, may lead to serious complications. Each type of osteomyelitis requires different treatment strategies, either medical or surgical. Prompt diagnosis is crucial for both prognosis and successful treatment. The latter mandates interdisciplinary interventions combining patient assessment, antibiotics, and surgery.

CureusVol. 17(7)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
Orthopedic Infections and Treatments
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