Fungal Septic Knee Arthritis Caused by <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Postoperative infections after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) represent a rare but severe complication. An extremely rare case of <i>Aspergillus</i> septic arthritis in a 27-year-old patient following arthroscopic ACLR is reported. The patient present...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: George Samonis, Christos Koutserimpas, Georgia Vrioni, Elsa Kampos Martinez, Panagiotis Kouloumentas, Kalliopi Alpantaki, George Saroglou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-10-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/11/1975
Description
Summary:Postoperative infections after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) represent a rare but severe complication. An extremely rare case of <i>Aspergillus</i> septic arthritis in a 27-year-old patient following arthroscopic ACLR is reported. The patient presented with signs of knee infection 14 days after ACLR. Two consecutive arthroscopic debridements were performed, while eventually histopathology, cultures and multiplex PCR test revealed <i>Aspergillus</i> identified as <i>A. fumigatus</i> by mass spectrometry. The patient commenced long-term treatment with voriconazole. Fungal arthritis or osteomyelitis following ACLR has a mild local and general inflammatory reaction when compared to the bacterial ones. Nevertheless, such infections may lead to aggressive osseous destruction and necrosis. A high index of suspicion is of utmost importance for early detection, while microscopic, histological examination and multiplex PCR may be more helpful for the diagnosis than cultures since cultures are more time-consuming and may vary depending on different factors.
ISSN:2075-4418