Paraneoplastic Clostridium septicum Infection of a Total Knee Arthroplasty

• Published in: The Journal of arthroplasty Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 666.e9 - 666.e11
• Main Authors: Burnell, Colin D.C., BSc, MD, FRCSC, Turgeon, Thomas R., BSc, MD, MPH, FRCSC, Hedden, David R., MD, FRCSC, Bohm, Eric R., B Eng, MD, MSc, FRCSC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2011
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - complications; Adenocarcinoma - diagnostic imaging; Adenocarcinoma - therapy; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee - instrumentation; Clostridium Infections - diagnosis; Clostridium Infections - drug therapy; Clostridium Infections - etiology; Clostridium septicum; Clostridium septicum - isolation & purification; Colonic Neoplasms - complications; Colonic Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Colonic Neoplasms - therapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; infection; Knee Prosthesis - microbiology; malignancy; Orthopedics; Osteoarthritis, Knee - surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; total knee arthroplasty; total knee arthroplasty; Clostridium septicum; infection; malignancy
• ISSN: 0883-5403; 1532-8406
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2010.07.015

Abstract We describe a case of a well-functioning total knee arthroplasty acutely infected with Clostridium septicum . This is the first reported infection of a prosthetic joint with this organism. A search for the source of this infection uncovered a colonic malignancy. This organism is highly associated with gastrointestinal malignancy, and appropriate investigation should be carried out when it is discovered. The importance of full anaerobic bacterial identification by the microbiology laboratory is underscored by this case.