Multi-focal Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile osteomyelitis in a patient with sickle cell anemia: case presentation and literature review

Abstract

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection manifests as intestinal infections, namely pseudomembranous colitis. The occurrence of extra-intestinal disease is thought to be rare with a rate of 1.08% of 2034 isolates of C. difficile and an incidence of 4/100,000 admissions. C. difficile had been rarely associated with osteomyelitis. Here, we report the occurrence of C. difficile osteomyelitiin a patient with sickle cell disease. The patient had multiple surgeries and a prolonged antimicrobial therapy to achieve a cure. The patient had C. difficile infection of native bone and of a prosthetic joint. The patient received prolonged therapy with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and metronidazole and she remained free of C. difficile infection for 3 years off antibiotics.