Sternal osteomyelitis with bacteremia due to Mycobacterium abscessus is rarely seen in immunocompetent hosts. Routine pyogenic cultures in these cases are often negative causing a delay in diagnosis and treatment. Clinicians and microbiologists should rule out the possibility of infection due to nontuberculous mycobacteria while managing cases of nonhealing culture-negative wounds with conventi...

Case presentation: We present a case of isolated sternal tuberculosis and review the demographic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of 32 published cases found in a systematic review of the literature. Patients with primary sternal osteomyelitis due to M. tuberculosis are often young and have no co-morbidity. Diagnosis is frequently delayed. Common symptoms and signs are local swell...

Although pulmonary disability is usually minimal following total sternectomy, the potential for remote complications exists. We present a case of severe respiratory failure resulting from simple rib fractures occurring two years after sternectomy for sternal osteomyelitis. Respiratory failure resulted from flail chest due to the combination of acute rib fracture and the lack of anterior fixatio...

BACKGROUND Sternal dehiscence is one of the most troublesome complications following cardiac surgery. Treatment failure and consequent lethal outcomes are very common. The aim of this study was to evaluate titanium plate fixation as a treatment for sternal dehiscence following major cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2010 and 2012, 17 patients underwent sternal reconstruction usin...

A 58 year old man presented with an anterior myocardial infarction requiring repeated resuscitation. He had impaired glucose tolerance. He died five weeks later and post-mortem examination revealed a myocardial abscess and sternal osteomyelitis due to Staphylococcus aureus. These had not been apparent clinically. The possible aetiology and difficulties in diagnosis are discussed.

Sternomy represents the standard approach to the heart and great vessels in most cardiothoracic procedures. Closure of this incision is simple; however, healing complications such as dehiscence, osteomyelitis, mediastinitis, and superficial wound infection or fistula may occur. We describe an alternative technique for sternal closure using semirigid fixation with thermoreactive clips.

Primary mycobacterial infection of the sternum is extremely uncommon. We present a case of cold abscess of sternum successfully treated with four drug antituberculous therapy. Tuberculous sternal osteomyelitis is rare entity and one should suspect tuberculosis in a case of chronic abscess over the sternum.