Introduction
Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory bone condition caused by infection,
which can be acute or chronic. Acute osteomyelitis typically presents
with pain, fever, and localized swelling within days to weeks of
infection. It most commonly affects long bones.¹
Sternal osteomyelitis is rare, usually associated with thoracic surgery,
and predominantly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Other organisms like
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Candida albicans
are implicated in specific populations.²˒³ Management often involves
antibiotics and, occasionally, surgical debridement.¹
Here, we report a case of primary sternal osteomyelitis in a 14-year-old
boy, successfully managed with a conservative approach in a rural
hospital in Nepal.