title: Pyogenic arthritis complicating varicella infection.
abstract: Arthritis has not previously been reported as a complication in adult patients with chickenpox. In pediatric patients, the arthritis that complicates chickenpox is most commonly aseptic but does rarely result from bacterial infection. We report the case of a 21-year-old man who developed acute monoarticular septic arthritis due to Lancefield Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. Despite the more common viral cause of arthritis in pediatric patients, physicians should not attribute arthritis associated with varicella in adults to a viral cause without diagnostic arthrocentesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307-5001.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Dillard
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dacey
authors.forename: T X
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Dwyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D011677:Punctures; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013492:Suppuration; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000382:microbiology