Schaalia (Formerly Actinomyces) turicensis Infection Following Open Rotator Cuff Repair

We report the case of a male in his early 70s who developed a deep infection after an open rotator cuff repair, with Schaalia turicensis as the only organism isolated from a surgical biopsy of the tendon remnants and phlegmatic/purulent material at the failed repair site. This species was originally within the genus Actinomyces. We report this case because it is the only one that we could locate where an infected open rotator cuff repair site grew S. turicensis. Our patient was not diabetic, did not smoke, and did not have other recent or concurrent infections. He had hypertension, hypothyroidism, depression, and a hyperactive bladder. Hence, he only had minor risk factors for infection. His postoperative shoulder infection was eradicated with surgical irrigation and debridement, and 6.5 weeks of primarily oral antibiotic treatment. We also review the literature on infections after any shoulder surgery where Schaalia or Actinomyces species were isolated.