Septic olecranon and prepatellar bursitis in hockey players: a report of three cases

Septic bursitis (SB) is an important differential diagnosis in athletes presenting with an acute subcutaneous swelling of the elbow or knee. Prompt recognition is essential to minimize recovery time and prevent the spread of infection. Due to the significant overlap in clinical features, it is often difficult to differentiate SB from non-septic bursitis (NSB) without bursal aspirate analysis. SB is commonly not considered unless the bursitis is accompanied by a local skin lesion or fever. This study describes two cases of septic olecranon bursitis and one case of septic prepatellar bursitis in adult hockey players presenting to a sports medicine clinic. None of the cases presented with an observable skin lesion and only one case developed a fever. It is therefore essential that clinicians maintain a high index of suspicion and monitor for signs of progression when presented with an acute bursitis even in the absence of these features.