Salmonella enteritidis infection of the musculoskeletal system - case report

This article presents diagnostic and therapeutic problems in 2 patients with blood-borne infection of the coxofemoral joint and the humeral diaphysis caused by Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis). These patients accounted for 4.6% of cases of blood-borne infections treated between 2002 and 2009 and 1.1% of all musculoskeletal infections treated at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of N. Copernicus Regional Specialized Hospital in Łódź. The inflammations developed nearly a year after an episode of Salmonella gastroenteritis. The aetiology and time of onset of manifestations raised some doubts as to the accuracy of diagnosis and required not only conventional microbiological methods but also serological tests to confirm the presence of specific antibodies to S. enteritidis antigens. The finding of osteolytic foci in imaging studies of bones necessitates extensive work-up that should also account for atypical causes of musculoskeletal inflammation.