Pyomyositis and human immunodeficiency virus infection

Pyomyositis is a bacterial infection of skeletal muscle usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus and characterized by localized muscle pain, swelling, and tenderness. The disease is endemic in the tropics. Though only approximately 50 cases have been reported from the continental United States, pyomyositis has been increasingly recognized here in the last decade. We report two patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and pyomyositis, and review five previously reported cases. Given the predisposition of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC) for infections caused by S aureus, pyomyositis may become increasingly more common in temperate areas.