Pamidimukkala Sanjana, Mary Lilly S, Natarajan Suresh, Sai Sudha M, Reddy V Vijay Narasimman
Department of Pathology, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Orthopaedics, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
J Orthop Case Rep. 2025 Jul;15(7):107-110. doi: 10.13107/jocr.2025.v15.i07.5786.
Xanthogranulomatous osteomyelitis (XO) is a rare form of chronic osteomyelitis. (XO) is invariably pathological. This lesion tends to extend into the adjacent soft tissues, mimicking malignancy. Non-specific symptoms associated are pain at the site of involvement, fever, leukocytosis, increased C-reactive-Reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). A Hallmark feature is the presence of lipid-laden macrophages or histiocytes, with acute and chronic inflammatory cells, in the histopathology. Infective organisms are identified rarely by culture, That is, usually sterile.
We discuss here a case of (XO) of the right hip joint, a 38-year-old male patient presented with right hip pain throbbing type, which was insidious in onset. Accompanying symptoms included evening rise in temperature, loss of weight, and loss of appetite. The patient had a history of trauma for which he was treated with native splinting for 3 months. The laboratory investigations showed leucocytosis, elevated CRP, and ESR.
Histopathology examination is the gold standard in diagnosis as clinical and radiological findings are not so conclusive.