Erysipelas of the left upper limb occurring after elbow dislocation

Erysipelas is an acute infection occurring chiefly in the lower limbs, rarely in the upper limbs.

A 45-year-old patient suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease with neuropathy of the limbs, presented with fever and a 24-hour history of a well-circumscribed inflammatory and infiltrated plaque of the left arm. Erysipelas was diagnosed and intravenous penicillin was administered leading to regression of the inflammatory signs, however edema persisted in the inner part of the left elbow. An x-ray showed left elbow dislocation. The patient revealed trauma of the left upper limb 5 weeks before.

The occurrence of erysipelas is usually associated with lymphatic edema or venous incontinence. Lymphatic lesions due to radiotherapy or surgery may afflict draining vessels leading to venous and lymphatic stasis and then infection occurs. We find no reported cases of erysipelas following elbow dislocation but we postulate its pathogenesis to be similar.