Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i>
<i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> is a rare opportunistic fungal pathogen that can be isolated from various environmental sources, including soil and animal feces. Although infrequent, infections caused by <i>A. clavatus</i> can be severe in immunocompromised patients. Here, we pre...
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/10/1270 |
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| author | Robert Kuthan Gabriel Lawrence Zaremba-Wróblewski Flynn Ott Dorsa Soltaninia |
| author_facet | Robert Kuthan Gabriel Lawrence Zaremba-Wróblewski Flynn Ott Dorsa Soltaninia |
| author_sort | Robert Kuthan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> is a rare opportunistic fungal pathogen that can be isolated from various environmental sources, including soil and animal feces. Although infrequent, infections caused by <i>A. clavatus</i> can be severe in immunocompromised patients. Here, we present a case of a prosthetic joint infection (PJI) in a 74-year-old female patient caused by <i>A. clavatus</i>. The patient presented with left knee pain, and septic loosening of the left knee endoprosthesis was diagnosed. She underwent surgical revision with the implantation of an antibiotic spacer and microbiologic testing. The results came back positive for both <i>Staphylococcus lugdunensis</i> and <i>A. clavatus</i> (which is found in only a fraction of a percent of PJIs). She was treated with oral antimicrobials for 3 months postoperatively. This case report vividly illustrates a clinical scenario that underscores the significance of rigorous microbiologic testing procedures, accurate pathogen identification, unwavering vigilance in testing protocols, and a cautious approach that avoids succumbing to the seductive simplicity of Occam’s razor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:58:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b03fe3c07d8410ebe8b65e27fb84c65 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:58:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b03fe3c07d8410ebe8b65e27fb84c652023-11-19T17:40:56ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-10-011210127010.3390/pathogens12101270Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i>Robert Kuthan0Gabriel Lawrence Zaremba-Wróblewski1Flynn Ott2Dorsa Soltaninia3Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-004 Warsaw, PolandChair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-004 Warsaw, PolandStudent Scientific Club Microbiology Applied to Clinics and Real Life for Students (MACR-S) Affiliated to Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, PolandStudent Scientific Club Microbiology Applied to Clinics and Real Life for Students (MACR-S) Affiliated to Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland<i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> is a rare opportunistic fungal pathogen that can be isolated from various environmental sources, including soil and animal feces. Although infrequent, infections caused by <i>A. clavatus</i> can be severe in immunocompromised patients. Here, we present a case of a prosthetic joint infection (PJI) in a 74-year-old female patient caused by <i>A. clavatus</i>. The patient presented with left knee pain, and septic loosening of the left knee endoprosthesis was diagnosed. She underwent surgical revision with the implantation of an antibiotic spacer and microbiologic testing. The results came back positive for both <i>Staphylococcus lugdunensis</i> and <i>A. clavatus</i> (which is found in only a fraction of a percent of PJIs). She was treated with oral antimicrobials for 3 months postoperatively. This case report vividly illustrates a clinical scenario that underscores the significance of rigorous microbiologic testing procedures, accurate pathogen identification, unwavering vigilance in testing protocols, and a cautious approach that avoids succumbing to the seductive simplicity of Occam’s razor.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/10/1270<i>Aspergillus</i><i>Aspergillus clavatus</i>infectionprosthetic joint infection (PJI) |
| spellingShingle | Robert Kuthan Gabriel Lawrence Zaremba-Wróblewski Flynn Ott Dorsa Soltaninia Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> Pathogens <i>Aspergillus</i> <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> infection prosthetic joint infection (PJI) |
| title | Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> |
| title_full | Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> |
| title_fullStr | Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> |
| title_short | Septic Obturation of a Knee Endoprosthesis Caused by <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> |
| title_sort | septic obturation of a knee endoprosthesis caused by i aspergillus clavatus i |
| topic | <i>Aspergillus</i> <i>Aspergillus clavatus</i> infection prosthetic joint infection (PJI) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/10/1270 |
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