CASE REPORT

Septic arthritis of the right ankle caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection in a rheumatoid arthritis patient treated with etanercept

Authors

Yuko Waguri-Nagaya¹, Masaaki Kobayashi¹, Hideyuki Goto¹, Shinji Hisazaki¹, Atsushi Tsuchiya¹ and Takanobu Otsuka¹

1. Department of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan

Received:

27 October 2006

Accepted:

22 March 2007

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Abstract

We report on a 65-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis who developed septic arthritis of the right ankle and was treated with etanercept, low-dosage prednisolone, and salazosulfapyridine for 18 weeks. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from ankle synovial fluid; hence, etanercept was stopped and cefazolin was administered. The patient responded well to arthroscopic synovectomy and irrigation of the ankle. Etanercept treatment should cease if it leads to septic arthritis and patients should be prescribed systemic antibiotics, with surgical debridement considered.

Key words

Arthroscopy - Rheumatoid arthritis - Septic arthritis - Staphylococcus aureus - Tumor necrosis alpha antagonist