Self-Resolution of a Draining Sinus Tract in a Patient with Chronic Periprosthetic Hip Infection

We report a novel case of a patient who had a draining sinus soon after a total hip arthroplasty that spontaneously resolved. The patient voluntarily discontinued antibiotic suppressive therapy (AST) after 10 years of treatment and paradoxically experienced full resolution of signs of chronic prosthetic joint infection (PJI), including recovery of his left-sided draining sinus tract. Now 8 years after discontinuing AST, the patient has no pain, good function, and no major or minor criteria of joint infection according to the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) workgroup. The authors have not identified literature describing a similar resolution of draining sinus tracts from around a prosthetic joint after discontinuing AST. Despite the resolution of this patient's sinus tract, the authors do not advocate for discontinuing AST in patients with a draining sinus tract. However, in spite of the fact that the MSIS consensus statement suggests that a draining sinus is a sure sign of PJI and that the assumption is that the infection will not go away until explant, this case was different.