The use of antibiotic-impregnated cement beads in the management of sternal osteomyelitis after treatment for malignant lymphoma

Currently, the majority of patients who develop Hodgkin's disease can be cured with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. A long follow up of cured patients has shown that the cumulative toxicity from treatment related complication rivals the mortality from Hodgkin's disease. We present a 38-year old male with Hodgkin's disease, treated with radiation and chemotherapy, who developed cardiac infarction and severe mediastinal fibrosis. After median sternotomy for cardiac bypass operation, he suffered from sternal osteitis and superior mediastinitis. A radical debridement must be avoided to protect the bypassed conduit embedded in the extended severe mediastinal fibrosis. Then after appropriate debridement and management of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap transfer and use of vancomycin-impregnated cement beads achieved infection control. In this study we present our experience with bibliographical discussion. With the concept presented in this study, however, a consistent cure and prevention from subsequent infection-related morbidity and mortality were achieved even in the subset of the most severe, recalcitrant cases of sternal osteitis, and with an unacceptable rate of complications. This justifies the invasive nature of the procedure and suggests its application not only as a salvage operation for failures after previous interventions, but also as a primary approach for severe sternal osteomyelitis. (author)