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Published on: October 31, 2019
Prosthetic joint infection caused by Neisseria sicca/subflava
Hassaan Abid1, Akrum Saleh2, Michael DeBrota2
1Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, USA. habid@iu.edu.
Background:
Prosthetic joint infections are most commonly caused by staphylococci and streptococci, while commensal Neisseria species are exceedingly rare etiologic agents.
Case Presentation:
We report a 71-year-old white male with multiple comorbidities who presented with progressive left knee pain 9 years after total knee arthroplasty. Synovial fluid analysis showed an elevated leukocyte count with neutrophil predominance, and cultures subsequently grew Neisseria sicca/subflava. Given the concern for prosthetic joint infection, he underwent prosthesis explantation and received intravenous ceftriaxone 2 g daily for 6 weeks. Poor dentition was identified as a suspected potential source of hematogenous seeding. The patient demonstrated clinical improvement with surgical intervention and targeted antimicrobial therapy.
Conclusion:
Neisseria sicca/subflava should be recognized as a rare but clinically significant cause of prosthetic joint infection.
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