Tropical pyomyositis in scrub typhus: a rare association

Abstract

Tropical pyomyositis manifests as single or multiple abscesses inside skeletal muscles and it has a higher prevalence in immunocompromised patients. Scrub typhus, a zoonotic disease is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi and the clinical manifestations range from simple febrile illness to organ threatening complications. Here, we present a rare case of an immunocompetent young man diagnosed as tropical pyomyositis in association with scrub typhus. Imaging of both thighs revealed multiple intramuscular abscesses. Blood and aspirated pus were culture negative. Patient was treated aggressively with parenteral antibiotics (linezolid, clindamycin and meropenem) and surgical debridement. But, fever did not subside and total leucocyte count remained persistently high. After serological confirmation of scrub typhus, the patient was put on oral doxycycline and he had a dramatic improvement within next few days. To the best of our knowledge, this is probably the first reported case of tropical pyomyositis in association with scrub typhus.