Fusobacterium nucleatum prosthetic hip infection: Case report and review of the literature of unusual anaerobic prosthetic joint infection

Fusobacterium necrophorum septic arthritis of the hip: A case-report and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Fusobacterium necrophorum is a rare but significant cause of septic arthritis, typically following oropharyngeal infections in adolescents. This anaerobic pathogen, commonly associated with Lemierre's syndrome, can lead to joint infections, posing risks for severe morbidity if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Awareness and timely intervention are essential for preventing long-term joint damage.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 19-year-old woman who developed high fever and acute right hip pain one week after a sore throat. Imaging revealed septic arthritis, with F. necrophorum identified in both blood and synovial fluid cultures. She received intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam, followed by outpatient parenteral therapy through an elastomeric pump, achieving full recovery. This case adds to the 42 cases documented in our literature review, reinforcing the need for prompt antimicrobial therapy.

CONCLUSION

Fusobacterium-induced septic arthritis, though uncommon, should be considered in young patients presenting with joint infections post-pharyngitis. Early diagnosis and targeted antimicrobial therapy, particularly with β-lactamase inhibitors, are critical for effective management and preventing joint sequelae.

One Third of Patients before Endoprosthesis Implantation Show an Oral Focus as Potential Source of Infectious Complication—The Value of Pre-Operative Dental Risk Stratification in a German Cohort

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional cohort study was to evaluate a comprehensive dental examination and referral concept for patients prior to endoprosthesis (EP) implantation in an interdisciplinary setting. Methods: Patients, who were prepared for EP surgery in the clinic for orthopaedics, were referred to the dental clinic for a dental examination. Thereby, dental and periodontal treatment need, radiographic and temporomandibular joint findings were assessed. Based on oral and radiographic investigation, a risk classification for potential source of prosthetic infection was performed. If potential oral foci of EP infection were present (e.g., apically radiolucent teeth, severe periodontitis or additional inflammatory findings), patients were classified as at high risk for EP infection with oral origin. Those individuals were allocated to their family dentist or special clinic for dental treatment prior to EP surgery. Results: A total of 311 patients were included (mean age: 67.84 ± 10.96 years, 51% male). A dental treatment need of 33% was found, while the periodontal treatment need was 83%. Thirty-one percent of patients showed at least one apical radiolucency (a sign of chronic infection/inflammation). Furthermore, additional findings such as radiographic signs of sinusitis maxillaris were found in 24% of patients. Temporomandibular disease was probable in 17% of individuals. One-third (34%) were assigned to the high risk group for an EP infection with oral origin. Conclusion: German patients before EP have a high periodontal treatment need and show frequently (34%) a potential oral focus of infection, underlining the necessity of including dental examination and risk stratification as part of the pre-operative assessment prior to EP implantation. Therefore, an approach as applied in this study appears reasonable for those individuals.

PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure) as Visual Tool to Support Oral Health Education Prior to Endoprosthetic Joint Replacement-A Novel Approach in Dentistry

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the application of Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure (PRISM) in educating patients regarding oral health before endoprosthesis (EP). Methods: The study consisted of two parts: (I) a cross-sectional study, where patients received a PRISM interview, oral health briefing and oral examinations (treatment need, oral focus). (II) In an observational part, patients were randomly assigned to either PRISM task (Test) or flyer-based verbal briefing (Control). Before and after the interviews, patients answered a questionnaire regarding importance of oral health for EP. Results: (I) 122 patients were included. The distance between subject (“myself”) and objects (oral health issues or EP) in the PRISM task were mainly not associated with age, gender, and oral conditions. In part (II), 80 patients (PRISM: n = 40, Control: n = 40) were included. After the interview, the values for perceived relationship between EP and teeth (p < 0.01), EP and gums (p < 0.01), and EP and dental consultations (p < 0.01) significantly increased in both groups. Both groups perceived a high benefit of the interview and felt well educated. Conclusions: PRISM has comparable positive effects like a flyer-based verbal briefing. PRISM as a novel visual tool can support the patient education regarding oral health before EP.

Clinical Metagenomic Sequencing for Species Identification and Antimicrobial Resistance Prediction in Orthopedic Device Infection

Diagnosis of orthopedic device-related infection is challenging, and causative pathogens may be difficult to culture. Metagenomic sequencing can diagnose infections without culture, but attempts to detect antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants using metagenomic data have been less successful. Human DNA depletion may maximize the amount of microbial DNA sequence data available for analysis. Human DNA depletion by saponin was tested in 115 sonication fluid samples generated following revision arthroplasty surgery, comprising 67 where pathogens were detected by culture and 48 culture-negative samples. Metagenomic sequencing was performed on the Oxford Nanopore Technologies GridION platform. Filtering thresholds for detection of true species versus contamination or taxonomic misclassification were determined. Mobile and chromosomal genetic AMR determinants were identified in Staphylococcus aureus-positive samples. Of 114 samples generating sequence data, species-level positive percent agreement between metagenomic sequencing and culture was 50/65 (77%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 65 to 86%) and negative percent agreement was 103/114 (90%; 95% CI, 83 to 95%). Saponin treatment reduced the proportion of human bases sequenced in comparison to 5-μm filtration from a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 98.1% (87.0% to 99.9%) to 11.9% (0.4% to 67.0%), improving reference genome coverage at a 10-fold depth from 18.7% (0.30% to 85.7%) to 84.3% (12.9% to 93.8%). Metagenomic sequencing predicted 13/15 (87%) resistant and 74/74 (100%) susceptible phenotypes where sufficient data were available for analysis. Metagenomic nanopore sequencing coupled with human DNA depletion has the potential to detect AMR in addition to species detection in orthopedic device-related infection. Further work is required to develop pathogen-agnostic human DNA depletion methods, improving AMR determinant detection and allowing its application to other infection types.

More Than Just a Periodontal Pathogen –the Research Progress on Fusobacterium nucleatum

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a common oral opportunistic bacterium that can cause different infections. In recent years, studies have shown that F. nucleatum is enriched in lesions in periodontal diseases, halitosis, dental pulp infection, oral cancer, and systemic diseases. Hence, it can promote the development and/or progression of these conditions. The current study aimed to assess research progress in the epidemiological evidence, possible pathogenic mechanisms, and treatment methods of F. nucleatum in oral and systemic diseases. Novel viewpoints obtained in recent studies can provide knowledge about the role of F. nucleatum in hosts and a basis for identifying new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of F. nucleatum-related diseases.

Isolated Septic Arthritis of the Hip Due to Fusobacterium Nucleatum in An Immunocompetent Adult: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction:

Hip septic arthritis is more common in children than in adults. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. are commonly found in association with septic joints. In contrast, Fusobacterium nucleatum septic arthritis in adults is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only five cases have been reported in the literature in English, and three of them were cases of periprosthetic joint infection. We report a rare case of hip septic arthritis due to F. nucleatum in an immunocompetent adult.

Case Presentation:

A 56-year-old Asian man with a history of bilateral Perthes’ disease and mild alcoholic liver disease presented to our hospital complaining of worsening right hip pain and difficulty in walking for the previous 3 weeks. On presentation, his temperature was 38.7°C, and laboratory results showed a white blood cell count of 19 200 cells/µL and a C-reactive protein level of 43.56 mg/dL. Hip movements were limited due to pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed fluid retention, suggesting infection. F. nucleatum was detected in the culture test from joint aspirate. Surgical drainage was performed 3 times in combination with antibiotherapy. Finally, we performed two-stage total hip arthroplasty, and the post-operative course was uneventful without implant loosening or infection relapse.

Conclusion:

The patient had a history of Perthes’ disease and had hip osteoarthritis, which may have contributed to the development of hip septic arthritis. We treated this rare case of hip septic arthritis due to F. nucleatum with two-stage revision surgery and antibiotherapy. Clinicians should be aware that F. nucleatum could be the etiologic agent of hip septic arthritis in an immunocompetent patient.

Rare Occurrence of Acute Hematogenous Periprosthetic Joint Infection Due to Fusobacterium Nucleatum in the Background of a Dental Procedure: A Case Report

Objective

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an anaerobic gram‐negative bacilli that is one of the oral and other mucosal surface microbiota. It involves a wide range of human diseases and was first found in periodontal diseases, but reports of bone‐related infections caused by F. nucleatum are rare, especially periprosthetic joint infections (PJI).

Methods

Here, we present the first case of acute hematogenous PJI of the hip joint caused by F. nucleatum, and debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) was performed.

Results

The patient was successfully treated with DAIR, identification of isolates by metagenomics next‐generation sequencing was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction.

Conclusions

For stable acute hematogenous PJI after hip replacement, quick and accurate diagnosis, the identification of pathogenic microorganisms, and the use of DAIR combined with sufficient sensitive antibiotics have a certain clinical effect and can achieve the purpose of both preserving the prosthesis and infection control.

Is there scientific evidence to support antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with periodontal disease as a means to decrease the risk of prosthetic joint infections? A systematic review

PURPOSE

To re-assess the scientific literature to ascertain if there is scientific evidence to support antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with periodontal disease as a means to decrease the risk of prosthetic joint infections.

INTRODUCTION

Prosthetic joint infections occur in approximately 0.3-2% of patients and, of these, around 6-13% are thought to be caused by oral bacteria. Antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures as a means to prevent a prosthetic joint infection has been controversial throughout the years. However, it remains unclear to what extent it has a beneficial effect. We do know that bacteraemia of oral origin is directly proportional to any ongoing inflammation or infection, and that a diseased periodontium may act as an entry for bacteria to spread to distant locations, through the bloodstream, and potentially be the cause of distant site infections.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Updated literature search using the PubMed (Medline), and the Clarivate Analytics databases, to identify eligible articles since the previous searches up to April 2019 (last 5 years).

RESULTS

No studies that relate periodontal disease to the development of a prosthetic joint infection were found.

CONCLUSION

Currently, there is no evidence to support or exclude the need of antibiotic prophylaxis as a means to decrease the risk of prosthetic joint infections in patients with periodontal disease.