Acute Osteomyelitis After Varicella Infection in an Infant: A Case Report

Abstract

Varicella infections in infants are commonly self-limited disease but sometimes can cause severe complications and also result in death. The varicella vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe varicella and has significantly decreased varicella incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths. The most common complications of Varicella infection that require hospitalization are skin/soft tissue infections, bone/joint infections, sepsis, pneumonia, thrombocytopenia and dehydration. Here we report, a ten-month-old female infant hospitalized for varicella sepsis and purpura fulminans. In the first month of her treatment, osteomyelitis of left elbow has occurred and operated and treated successfully. Osteomyelitis should always be considered in any child who develops pain, swelling and limitation of movement in a limb during or after varicella infection.