RESUMO

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a rare idiopathic inflammatory disease that mainly affects children and young adults. The clinical signs and symptoms are nonspecific, hindering and delaying the proper diagnosis. We report a case of CRMO in a child with chronic pain in the cervical and thoracic spine. Investigations of the pain revealed a diagnosis of osteomyelitis in the biopsy, indicating a course of antibiotic treatment. After a year, there was progressive worsening of the pain, and it soon spread to the left wrist and right ankle. Magnetic resonance imaging of the left wrist and right ankle revealed morphostructural changes. A new biopsy was performed on the wrist and ankle, and osteomyelitis was pinpointed again. In view of the clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings, the patient was diagnosed with CRMO. The following treatment consisted of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, methotrexate, and pamidronate. The strength of this case is the fact that there was extensive imaging and more than one biopsy, and the patient was followed. Magnetic resonance imaging was valuable in assessing the extent and activity of a lesion.

RESUMO

Los síndromes autoinflamatorios son un grupo de enfermedades caracterizadas por episodios espontáneos, recurrentes o persistentes de inflamación multisistémica. En ellos no se evidencia una etiología infecciosa, neoplásica o autoinmune. Están causadas por alteraciones de la inmunidad innata, lo que ocasiona una desregulación del sistema inflamatorio a nivel del inflamosoma. Estos síndromes se subdividen en dos grandes grupos los síndromes hereditarios de fiebre periódica y las enfermedades autoinflamatorias persistentes, dentro de este último se ubican las enfermedades inflamatorias óseas donde se incluye la osteomielitis multifocal crónica recurrente. Presentamos un caso de una niña de 9 años que ingresa en nuestro hospital por un síndrome febril prolongado y después de múltiples investigaciones se concluye como una osteomielitis multifocal crónica recurrente.

Autoinflammatory syndromes are a group of diseases characterized by spontaneous, recurrent or persistent episodes of multisystem inflammation. They do not show an infectious, neoplastic or autoimmune etiology. They are caused by alterations of the innate immunity, which causes a dysregulation of the inflammatory system at the level of the inflammasome. These syndromes are subdivided into two major groups, the hereditary syndromes of periodic fever and the persistent autoinflammatory diseases; within the latter are the inflammatory bone diseases which chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis. We present a case of a 9-year-old girl who enters our hospital due to a prolonged febrile syndrome and after multiple investigations, it concludes as a Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis.