Case report of a septic arthritis complicated with septic thrombophlebitis and septic pulmonary embolism in a child at the Regional Hospital of Buea, Cameroon

Abstract

Septic or suppurative thrombophlebitis (ST) is a systemic disease condition characterized by micro abscess formation within the thrombotic veins and repeated bacterial embolization into the circulation. Septic Pulmonary Embolism (SPE), one of its most severe complications is the lodgement of an infected thrombus in a pulmonary artery. It has no clinical specific features. The authors hence report a case of an 8-year-old boy brought with an acute history fever, right knee and leg inflammation, ulcerated blisters discharging pus around the leg. The diagnoses of septic arthritis of right knee and thromboembolic disease were made. The venous Doppler ultrasound suggested the septic arthritis, while the thoracic CT-Angiogram a septic pulmonary embolism confirmed to be
staphylococcal by blood culture. The patient was then put on probabilistic then specific antibiotic therapy. The progression was marked by an improvement of the symptoms after 29 days of treatment and the patient was discharged after 34 days of treatment with antibiotics. We note therefore that osteoarticular infections can be complicated by sepsis and septic pulmonary embolism.