Three Cases of Q Fever Osteomyelitis in Children and a Review of the Literature

Q fever is a common zoonosis worldwide. Awareness of the disease and newer diagnostic modalities have resulted in increasing recognition of unusual manifestations. We report 3 cases of Q fever osteomyelitis in children and review the literature on 11 other reported cases. The cases demonstrate that Coxiella burnetii can cause granulomatous osteomyelitis that presents without systemic symptoms and frequently results in a chronic, relapsing, multifocal clinical course. Optimal selection and duration of antimicrobial therapy and methods of monitoring therapy are currently uncertain.