Prosthetic knee joint infection due to Mycobacterium abscessus

Infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA) due to Mycobacterium abscessus is very rare with only three such cases described in literature. Only one case was managed successfully, however, with a prolonged course of anti tubercular therapy. In this case report, we present an elderly lady with infected TKA after 2 years of the primary procedure. Although initially it grew different bacteriae, M. abscessus was isolated during the second debridement. She was successfully treated with total of 5 months of second line anti tubercular drugs with revision prosthesis performed during chemotherapy. Two years followup revealed satisfactory outcome with no relapse.