Acute scoliosis in a 3-year-old boy
- 1Orthopaedics Department, Kings Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK
- 2Paediatrics Department, Kings Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK
- Correspondence to Dr Rishi Malhotra, rishi.malhotra{at}nhs.net
Summary
The case describes the presentation of a fit and well 3-year-old boy to the emergency department of a district general hospital after he developed an acute scoliosis overnight. There was no history of trauma, his observations were normal and he had non-specific symptoms of lethargy and reduced appetite, but no fevers or respiratory distress. Bloods showed raised inflammatory markers and he was referred to orthopaedics as a septic disc as there was some spinal tenderness. An urgent MRI was considered initially but on further examination there was some reduced air entry on the left lung base which a chest radiograph confirmed as a left-sided pneumonia. A diagnosis of pneumonia and secondary functional scoliosis was made. The child was admitted under paediatrics and made a full recovery on antibiotics. At 8 weeks follow-up there was resolution of scoliosis clinically and radiologically.
Footnotes
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Competing interests None.
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Patient consent Obtained.