Fungal arthritis with adjacent osteomyelitis caused by Candida pelliculosa: a case report

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 1 - 438
• Main Authors: Song, Kwang Yun, Park, Chulmin, Byun, Ji-Hyun, Chun, Hye-Sun, Choi, Jung-Hyun, Han, Eun Hee, Lee, Seung Ok, Jeong, Yeonjeong, Kim, Youn Jeong, Kim, Si-Hyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 22.06.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Amphotericin B; Antifungal agents; Antiparasitic agents; Arthritis; Arthroplasty (knee); Biomedical materials; Blood; Bone surgery; Candida; Candidemia; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case reports; Caspofungin; Debridement; Deoxycholic acid; Destruction; Diagnosis; Fluconazole; Fungi; Fungicides; Health aspects; Immunocompromised hosts; Infections; Infectious diseases; Joint diseases; Joint replacement surgery; Joint surgery; Joints (anatomy); Knee; Knee replacement arthroplasty; Laboratories; Micafungin; Neutrophils; Osteomyelitis; Pain; Pathogens; Patients; Prostheses; Prostheses and implants; Seeding; Surgical implants; Synovial fluid
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05171-8

Candida sp. osteoarticular infection is rare and most often due to hematogenous seeding during an episode of candidemia in immunocompromised patients. However, the diagnosis can be delayed in patients with subtle symptoms and signs of joint infection without a concurrent episode of candidemia. This case shows that C. pelliculosa, an extremely rare non-Candida albicans sp., can cause fungal arthritis and lead to irreversible joint destruction owing to delayed diagnosis and treatment.