Skip to main content
Article
Don't Forget the Flu - Determining the Etiology of Infective Myositis in a Child: A Case Report
Clinical practice and cases in emergency medicine
  • Lauren Crowley, BA, Lehigh Valley Health Network
  • Richard J Mazzaccaro, MD, Lehigh Valley Health Network
  • Amy L. Dunn, DO, LVHN
  • Sarah E Bauch, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Lehigh Valley Campus, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Department of Emergency and Hospital Medicine, Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  • Marna R Greenberg, DO, MPH, FACEP, Lehigh Valley Health Network
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2021
E-ISSN
2474-252X
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Infective myositis is an acute, self-limited condition, rarely occurring in children with recent viral infections. The condition is often overlooked by emergency physicians when endeavoring to exclude other diagnoses included in the differential. Diagnosis of the condition can be difficult when based purely on clinical presentation because it shares symptoms with much more concerning neurological illnesses. A few simple laboratory tests are indicated to reach the correct diagnosis. CASE REPORT: The following case report describes a three-year-old female diagnosed with a recent upper respiratory tract infection presenting to the emergency department with complaints of fatigue and inability to walk. She was diagnosed with an influenza-like illness three days prior by her pediatrician, the symptoms of which had mostly resolved by the time of presentation. CONCLUSION: Muscle weakness and abnormal, uncoordinated gait with an acute upper respiratory tract infection in a child may be cause for concern, prompting unnecessary work-up. Emergency physicians should be aware of the signs and symptoms of influenza-associated infective myositis in children, especially during influenza season.

DOI
10.5811/cpcem.2020.12.50405
PubMed ID
33560965
Citation Information
Crowley, L. M., Mazzaccaro, R. J., Dunn, A. L., Bauch, S. E., & Greenberg, M. R. (2021). Don't Forget the Flu - Determining the Etiology of Infective Myositis in a Child: A Case Report. Clinical practice and cases in emergency medicine, 5(1), 105–108. https://doi.org/10.5811/cpcem.2020.12.50405