Tropical Pyomyositis (Tropical Surgery Series)

Abstract

Tropical pyomyositis (TPM) is primarily an inflammatory disorder of skeletal muscles that is characterized by coagulative necrosis and superadded bacterial infection. It is common in tropical weather but not necessarily in a tropical country. Staphylococcus is the most common causative organism. TPM has 3 clinical stages. Local signs of inflammation such as redness and warmth are often deceptively missing. Streptococcal TPM is more aggressive disease. Mortality of stage-2 TPM is less than 2% while that of stage-3 approaches 20%. This article is a descriptive review of recent advances in this neglected tropical disease.