Computed tomography of septic joints

Pyogenic sacroiliitis and adult respiratory distress syndrome: a case report

Staphylococcus aureus sacroiliitis is uncommon and may lead to bacteraemia, sepsis, and death if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Its association with pulmonary symptoms has not been reported. We report a 36-year-old Thai woman who presented with a 4-day history of right buttock pain, aggravated by walking, which came on after having a traditional foot massage. She later developed adult respiratory distress syndrome. She was treated with open drainage, respiratory support, and antibiotics.

Sternoclavicular septic arthritis: a rare but serious complication of subclavian venous catheterization

Sternoclavicular septic arthritis is a rare complication of subclavian venous catheterization. We estimate that septic involvement of this joint may be as common as one in 500 catheterizations. We report two patients with insidious onset of shoulder pain, chest discomfort, low-grade fever and slight but painful swelling of a sternoclavicular joint four weeks following subclavian venous catheterization. Positive blood cultures in the presence of abnormal bone scan and abnormal conventional X-ray examination or computed tomography of the sternoclavicular joint led to the diagnosis of septic arthritis. Both patients responded well to antibiotic treatment. Based on our observations and that reported in the literature, the earliest changes of sternoclavicular septic arthritis may be detected by bone scan while plain X-ray studies and CT become abnormal during advanced stages of this type of arthritis. We would like to alert physicians to this cause of fever and joint pain in patients who previously underwent subclavian venous catheterization.

Chronic septic arthritis of the adult hip: computed tomographic features

Abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) are described in 12 adults in whom septic arthritis of the hip was diagnosed. Presenting symptoms varied, as did CT findings. Soft tissue abnormalities ranged from intra-articular effusion to large abscess formation, and bone changes ranged from minimal erosion of articular surfaces to gross destruction of the proximal femur and acetabulum. CT can be helpful in the evaluation of septic arthritis of the hip because of its superior demonstration of soft tissue detail. An accurate diagnosis can be established in unsuspected cases and can be confirmed when clinical indicators are vague.