Corynebacterium jeikeium prosthetic joint infection: case report and literature review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology

Background:

• Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are serious complications of joint replacement surgery.
• Corynebacterium jeikeium (C. jeikeium) is an opportunistic pathogen rarely implicated in PJIs.
• Historically, C. jeikeium PJIs often necessitate complex surgical interventions like total resection arthroplasty.

Observation:

• A rare case of prosthetic joint infection caused by Corynebacterium jeikeium was identified.
• The patient presented with a C. jeikeium prosthetic joint infection.
• Previous treatment strategies for such infections typically involved complete prosthesis removal.

Findings:

• Successful treatment of a C. jeikeium PJI was achieved with a less invasive approach.
• The treatment involved partial removal of the infected prosthesis.
• A 6-week course of vancomycin was administered, followed by long-term minocycline suppression therapy.

Implications:

• This case suggests that less invasive surgical management may be feasible for select C. jeikeium PJIs.
• The described antibiotic regimen (vancomycin followed by minocycline suppression) offers a potential treatment strategy.
• Further research is warranted to explore conservative management options for rare PJI pathogens.