[Current profile of hematogenous osteomyelitis in children at the Tokoin University Hospital Center in Lome, Togo. Report of 145 cases]

Bacterial osteomyelitis is still a major health problem in Togo due to frequent association with sickle cell disease and delayed treatment. This report describes a series including 145 patients hospitalized for osteomyelitis in a university hospital center in Lome from 1995 to 1997. Osteomyelitis was acute in 33 cases, in association with sickle cell disease in 14 cases, and chronic in 112 cases including 103 with sequela of acute osteomyelitis. Data showed that the most common infectious agent was Staphylococcus aureus (64 cases) which was isolated or associated with another microorganism. The most valuable finding of this study was the high incidence of salmonella (n = 39) identified in association with sickle cell disease. If salmonella is detected, electrophoretic hemoglobin screening should be performed.