Rat-bite fever as a cause of septic arthritis: a diagnostic dilemma.
Rat-bite fever results from an infection with the organism Streptobacillus moniliformis. Symptomatic patients often present with fever, malaise, cough, maculopapular rash, and occasional arthritis, and usually have a history of rodent exposure. This report describes a patient with rat-bite fever resulting in suppurative arthritis. The patient's diagnosis was made by culture of S moniliformis from his left wrist. The diagnosis was delayed, however, owing to the lack of an exposure history, atypical clinical presentation, and the unusual microbiologic characteristics shown by this organism.
Section of Infectious Diseases, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4354.
R L
RL
Rumley
N A
NA
Patrone
L
L
White
D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011906:Rat-Bite Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000382:microbiology; D013288:Streptobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000382:microbiology