Ultrasound Detection of Salmonella Septic Arthritis in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient on Anti-TNF Treatment

Anupama C Nandagudi; Stephen Kelly

doi:10.1177/2324709614532799

Ultrasound Detection of Salmonella Septic Arthritis in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient on Anti-TNF Treatment

J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2014 Apr 17;2(2):2324709614532799. doi: 10.1177/2324709614532799. eCollection 2014 Apr-Jun.

Authors

Anupama C Nandagudi¹, Stephen Kelly²

Affiliations

¹ Basildon and Thurrock Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Basildon, UK.
² Barts and London NHS Trust, London, UK.

Abstract

We report a case of Salmonella septic arthritis detected by ultrasound in a 40-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis while he was on anti-tumor necrosis factor-α monoclonal antibody certolizumab. An aspirate of his left elbow joint showed Salmonella enteritidis infection that was sensitive to ceftraixone. This was preceded by a brief episode of loose stools following a visit to the Far East. He was treated with antibiotics and made a good recovery. There have only been a few case reports of Salmonella septic arthritis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient on anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment but none previously in association with certolizumab.

Keywords: Salmonella; musculoskeletal ultrasound; rheumatoid arthritis; septic arthritis.