J Yeungnam Med Sci.  2023 Apr;40(2):193-197. 10.12701/yujm.2021.01613.

Septic arthritis of the hip joint caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: a case report

• Moon JB
• Lee JH
• Ryu BJ

• KMID: 2541946
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2021.01613

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an uncommon cause of septic arthritis in adults. However, late detection can cause serious complications, including joint destruction and immobility. The purpose of this study was to report a case of successfully treated septic arthritis of the hip joint (SAHJ) caused by K. pneumoniae. A 49-year-old female patient presented to our hospital with fever and progressive severe pain in the right hip area. Although there was no abnormality on plain radiographs, ultrasonography revealed diffuse swelling of the right hip joint. Under ultrasonography guidance, the hip joint fluid was aspirated, and Gram staining and culturing were performed. The patient’s pain was significantly reduced after the joint aspiration. The Gram staining and culturing revealed gram-negative bacilli, which were subsequently identified as K. pneumoniae. According to the results, systemic intravenous antibiotic (ceftriaxone) was administered without complications, and the patient was discharged on oral antibiotic (ciprofloxacin). Clinical cases of septic arthritis of the knee or sacroiliac joint have been occasionally reported in adults, but cases of SAHJ are rare. Moreover, K. pneumonia-induced SAHJ has not been reported to date. Therefore, we report this very rare case and its successful treatment.

Keyword

Hip; Infectious; Septic arthritis

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Pre- and post-aspiration ultrasonography images of the right hip joint. (A) Mild fluid collection and diffuse swelling of the right hip joint (arrows) are seen in the pre-aspiration image. (B) A decrease in the fluid collected in the right hip joint (arrow) is seen in the post-aspiration image. FH, femoral head.

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  Fig. 2. (A) Anterior and (B) posterior views of a whole-body bone scan. No abnormal findings such as hot or cold spots are observed throughout the body including the right hip joint.

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