[Septic arthritis due to Streptococcus bovis]

A 47-year-old man presented with arthritis of the right shoulder and spondylodiscitis by Streptococcus bovis. This microorganism is a frequent cause of endocarditis and has been associated with gastrointestinal neoplasm, mainly carcinoma of the colon; however up to the present it had not been described as an causal agent of septic arthritis. The studies carried out on the patient permitted the exclusion of the existence of a digestive neoplasm and endocarditis. Despite a prolonged evolution prior to treatment with elevated doses of penicillin G and not requiring surgical drainage, the evolution was good and no destructive lesions were produced in the shoulder joint. Hematogenous infections (in this case septic arthritis) by Streptococcus bovis may present in patients without gastrointestinal diseases or endocarditis, possibly have a low damage to skeletal structures and respond adequately to conventional treatment with penicillin G.