Pyomyositis is a rare bacterial infection of skeletal muscles caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which is becoming more common in temperate areas. It is more likely to occur in healthy people in tropical areas and those with compromised immune systems in temperate climates. Symptoms include low-grade fever, pain, and pus in the infected area. The disease can be diagnosed using an MRI test and can be treated with antibiotics and drainage of pus.
Pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of skeletal muscles, which are attached directly to bones in the human body. It is usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the same bacteria that cause pneumonia and toxic shock syndrome. Most incidences of pyomyositis occur in tropical areas of the world; however, it is becoming more common in temperate areas. Despite evidence of the spread of the disease, it is still quite rare.
In tropical areas, healthy people between the ages of 10 and 30 are more likely to get pyomyositis. In more temperate climates, it tends to appear only in people who have compromised immune systems, such as HIV-positive people. Even in people fitting this description, the disease is rare because skeletal muscle tends to have a high resistance to all types of infection.
Most people have at least some Staphylococcus aureus in their bodies at some point in their lives. The presence of the bacteria does not necessarily mean that the person will get sick. Most people only get pyomyositis if they experience some sort of muscle trauma during a time when Staphylococcus aureus is present in their bodies. Damage to the muscle weakens the immune system, allowing the infection to take hold.
Aside from the obvious problems of immune system suppression, patients with HIV are more susceptible to pyomyositis for other reasons. Patients with HIV tend to have more Staphylococcus aureus in their bodies than healthy people. Also, the bone marrow damage caused by HIV can make the body less able to resist the infection.
Pyomyositis causes several symptoms, both in the infected muscle and in the body as a whole. The disease begins with a low-grade fever and pain in the infected muscle. As the disease progresses, the sufferer may experience severe pain in the muscle. Pus may be present in the infected area. If the disease is allowed to progress, the affected person could die.
Doctors diagnose pyomyositis using an MRI test. Because the disease is so rare, doctors will only investigate it if symptoms clearly point to it as the culprit or if other possibilities have already been tested. It’s fairly easy to treat pyomyositis if it’s caught before it becomes life-threatening. Many patients respond to antibiotics. If there is pus in the muscle, it may need to be drained to relieve pressure and pain.
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