Pyomyositis in a patient with systemic lupus erythaematosus and a review of the literature

Abstract

Pyomyositis (PM) is a common masquerading disease that is frequently misdiagnosed. A concurrent state of immunodeficiency is observed in up to 75% of tropical PM cases. PM in systemic lupus erythaematosus (SLE) is a relatively rare disease. I report a case of PM that was caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in a patient with SLE who presented with leg pain, fever and a lupus flare-up. The patient was correctly diagnosed using a CT scan. Immediate surgical drainage was performed, and empirical antibiotics were administered. The patient was discharged while in a recovering condition. The clinical features, the results of radiographic investigations and the management of PM in SLE are synopsised in this article to underscore the importance of considering this relatively rare disease during differential diagnosis in patients with SLE with muscle pain with or without fever. I also emphasise the need to exclude mycobacterial infection in patients with SLE with PM.