A rare cause of osteomyelitis of distal phalanx: Candida lusitaniae

Abstract

Osteomyelitis of the phalanx caused by Candida species are rare. A 49-year-old female patient was admitted to an external center with a splinter injury of the third phalanx of the middle finger of her left hand about 45 days ago. She was referred to our clinic with persistent pain and discharge, despite four-week antibiotherapy. Debridement and curettage were performed and partial excision of the distal phalanx at an appropriate level was done. Her complaints gradually resolved postoperatively with prescribed antibiotics for the pathogen identified as Candida lusitaniae based on the intraoperative cultures. At her three-month follow-up visit, treatment yielded near-excellent results. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of osteomyelitis of the distal phalanx caused by Candida lusitaniae in the literature, highlighting the importance of definitive diagnosis and pathogen-specific treatment, rather than empirical treatment, to achieve favorable results with cure.