Haematogenous osteomyelitis: clinical presentation and outcome in three dogs

Abstract

Haematogenous osteomyelitis is a rare form of bone infection in adult dogs. Most commonly the infection is iatrogenic or traumatic in origin. The authors report three different presentations of haematogenous osteomyelitis: a focal pelvic localisation in a growing dog, a vertebral lesion in an adult dog with associated neurological signs and a multifocal affection in another adult dog with concomitant pathological fractures. Clinical signs included pyrexia of undetermined origin, focal pain and lameness. Diagnostic investigation included radiographic imaging, bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging, surgical biopsy, and bacteriological culture with sensitivity testing of biopsy specimens as well as of peripheral blood samples. Treatment consisted of long-term antimicrobial therapy and surgical debridement with curettage of the pelvic abscess of the young dog and decompressive hemilaminectomy of the second dog, with excellent recovery. The dog affected by polyostotic bone involvement and suffering pathological fractures was euthanatized. Haematogenous osteomyelitis may be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge and may present as a devastating skeletal condition, even in adult dogs, and should be considered amongst the differential diagnoses early on to allow effective treatment.

Idiopathic ischemic necrosis of an accessory carpal bone in a dog

“…This condition can cause radiographic findings of cortical lysis, irregular periosteal reaction, increased medullary density, and soft tissue swelling 10 and has been reported affecting the carpus in a dog 11 and the ACB in a horse. 12 Although a definitive diagnosis is determined by means of bacteriologic or fungal culture, 13 the diagnosis cannot be ruled out on the basis of a single negative culture result for a bone biopsy specimen because organisms may fail to grow for various reasons such as exposure to air during sample handling (for anaerobic organisms 14 ) or preoperative treatment with antimicrobials. In agreement with the negative results of microbial culture of the bone biopsy specimen of the dog of the present report, results of histologic examination of such tissue samples indicated no evidence of osteomyelitis (eg, an absence of neutrophil or plasma cell infiltration, which is typical for osteomyelitis 15 ).…”

“…The dog had no characteristics consistent with a hematogenous osteomyelitis such as pyrexia, lethargy, young age, localization to a metaphyseal location, discharge from sinus tracts, or polyostotic disease. 13,14 For these reasons, osteomyelitis was ruled out as a diagnosis.…”

Concurrent physitis and portosystemic shunts in three dogs

“…Staphylococcus aureus is the most common isolate in children with acute haematogenous osteomyelitis, although this is not the case in adults (Weichert and Sharland 2008). Similarly canine osteomyelitis and physitis have been associated with Streptococcus and Staphylococcus isolates, but Gram-negative species are seen also (Walker and others 1999, Rabillard and others 2011). The absence of positive blood culture results makes comparison between these results and the present cases difficult.…”

Polyostotic osteomyelitis following open pyometra in a dog

“…If these are not available, agents that can treat β-lactamase-producing Staphylococcus should be used (Walker and others 1983, Greene 2006b). The length of treatment should be four to six weeks, but longer courses have been described and will depend on the pathogen involved and the location of the lesion (Walker and others 1983, Lyndell and Fowler 1988, Kenneth 1994, Emmerson and Pead 1999, Rabillard and others 2011). Radiographs to evaluate response to treatment and improvement of the lesions should be obtained at the end of the therapeutic course (Greene 2006b).…”