Human bacterial arthritis caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus: report of a case.
Septic arthritis caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus is a rare event in humans. Of the four cases reported in the literature, only two patients had direct animal contact, and the portal of entry remained unclear in all cases. We report herein the case of a patient who suffered a purulent arthritis of the left shoulder caused by S. zooepidemicus, successfully treated in our department. A diagnostic FDG-PET-CT scan ruled out other foci of infection, but detected a hyperkeratotic plantar chronic soft tissue lesion of the left foot, acquired in a paragliding accident 10 years earlier. The fact that the patient habitually took care of his horses barefoot in boots, identifies the cutaneous portal of entry as most likely. To our knowledge this is the first report of a septic arthritis caused by S. zooepidemicus where a cutaneous entry route is described.
Friederichs
Jan
J
Trauma Center Murnau, Prof.-Kuentscher-Strasse 8, Murnau, Germany. Jan.Friederichs@bgu-murnau.de
Hungerer
Sven
S
Werle
Regina
R
Militz
Matthias
M
Bühren
Volker
V
D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005528:Foot; D006736:Horses / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012782:Shoulder; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D018502:Streptococcus equi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D002097:C-Reactive Protein