# Post-traumatic Brodie’s Abscess of the Tarsal Cuboid: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

## TL;DR

A 20-year-old man developed a rare post-traumatic abscess in his tarsal cuboid bone, which was successfully treated after being left untreated for three years.

## Contribution

This case report adds to the limited literature on post-traumatic Brodie’s abscess of the tarsal cuboid and its management.

## Key findings

- A penetrating injury led to a delayed Brodie’s abscess in the tarsal cuboid after three years.
- MRI confirmed a 2-cm abscess cavity and chronic inflammation in the affected bone.
- Surgical curettage, debridement, and targeted antibiotics resolved the symptoms completely.

## Abstract

Brodie's abscess of the tarsal cuboid is a relatively rare presentation of this disease. In this study, we present the case of a 20-year-old male with post-traumatic Brodie’s abscess of the tarsal cuboid that was left untreated for three years after the traumatic episode (penetrating injury with a sharp piece of wood). The patient presented pain over the injured area, limping, while plain foot radiographs showed a small lytic cavitary area in the cuboid. The magnetic resonance imaging revealed the presence of the abscess in a 2-cm diameter cavity in the cuboid bone and chronic inflammation of the surrounding plantar musculature. The treatment regime included curettage of the cavity, debridement of the inflammatory tissues, and administration of antibiotics, according to the cultures harvested intraoperatively, for six weeks. During this period, symptoms completely resolved.