Abstract

Sixteen patients with pyogenic osteomyelitis of the ribs are reported; ages ranged from 3 months to 42 years and 10 were female. Right sided ribs were affected in 10 cases and single ribs in 12. Antecedent causes included empyema thoracis (56%) and blunt chest trauma (19%). Fourteen out of 16 patients presented with discharging chest wall sinuses and five patients had associated swellings on the chest wall. The duration of symptoms ranged from two to 36 months. The most common microorganism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (50%). Rib excision (with drainage of the empyema in two cases) was curative in all 16 cases in this study.